Stella by Starlight Pt 4
by thesituation016
Summary: The Doctor and Stella survived the end of the universe and are now ready for the next adventure. With the silence lurking around every corner and the mysterious Dr Song appearing seemingly out of no where they will have no shortage of just that. Big things are in store for the Doctor and Stella, read to find out. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Near a planet with a thick cloudy atmosphere and a lovely view of the Horse Head Nebula. Flashes of light moved through the clouds like lightening though the color was strange, but beautiful. Then slicing through the clouds was a Starliner clearly in distress as it hurtled through the atmosphere.

"Would all passengers please return to their seats and fasten their safety belts? We are experiencing slight turbulence." They broadcast over the comms of the ship as things were exploding on the bridge showering everyone in sparks.

"Both engines failed, and the storm-gate's critical. The ship is going down." The Captain said grimly, barely able to stand upright with the was the ship was bucking. "Christmas is cancelled."

"Entering atmosphere now. Level. Keep her level." The Pilot struggled, his teeth clenched with effort.

"Level with what? I can't see. What is that stuff?" The Co-Pilot demanded.

"Clouds?" The Captain echoed.

"What kind of clouds?" The Pilot asked as a distress signal activated.

"Are you sending a distress signal?" The Captain asked.

"It's not me." The pilot shook his head bringing it up on a monitor showing the location was in the Honeymoon suite.

"Who's in the honeymoon suite?" The Captain questioned just as Amy entered, wearing her kiss o gram policewoman outfit.

"I've sent for help." Amy told them as she clung to the railing.

"Who the hell are you?" The captain demanded.

"Look, there's two friends of mine, okay? And they can help us. They'll come." Amy replied, her face showing no doubt to her words.

"And what are you wearing?" The Captain took in her outfit.

"That doesn't matter." Amy said quickly.

"Are you from the honeymoon suite?" The Captain asked.

"Oh, shut up." Amy's face flushed and enter Rory the Roman Centurion.

"Amy, the light's stopped flashing Does that mean they're coming?" Rory asked holding up a strange hodgepodge device.

"Honeymoon suite?" The Pilot questioned.

"Oh. Oh, the clothes. Er. It is just a bit of fun." Rory tried to explain.

"Really, shut up." Amy groaned in embarrassment before the ship rocked again.

"Sensor loss on eighty percent of the hull." The Co-Pilot said as they concentrated on their controls.

"So, does this mean they're coming, or does it mean I need to change the bulb?" Rory asked as he followed Amy, looking form her to the device.

"They'll come. They always come." Amy said without a doubt.

"Right." Rory nodded, not as sure. "Well, they're cutting it kind of fine."

"If we can't stabilize the orbit, we're finished." The Captain informed them grimly.

"There's nothing to lock onto. I am flying blind." The Co-Pilot called out.

"Come on, Doctor, Stella, come on." Amy begged.

"There's something coming alongside us. Something small, like a shuttle." The Co-Pilot looked down at his screen.

"Just this once, don't be late." Amy continued to plead.

"Ma'am. Incoming message. It's from the other ship." The Pilot worked the controls.

"On screen." The Captain ordered and the message read 'Come along Pond'. "What does that mean?"

"It's Christmas." Amy grinned.

-0-

Down below the thick cloud layer was a bustling metropolis, dominated by a domed building sending a pulsing energy beam into the sky. People moved to and fro about their Christmas preparations, everything happy in light of the coming holiday.

"On every world, wherever people are, in the deepest part of the winter, at the exact mid-point, everybody stops and turns and hugs, as if to say, well done. Well done, everyone. We're halfway out of the dark. Back on Earth, we called this Christmas, or the Winter Solstice. On this world, the first settlers called it the Crystal Feast." A bitter old man ranted, Sardick owner of everything. "You know what I call it?" He turned from the little window and walked into a massive room with just a piece of furniture around a large but empty fireplace. A poor family were waiting for him, a man, a young girl, an old woman and a young boy. "I call it expecting something for nothing."

"Sir. Mister Sardick. We're only asking for one day. Just let her out for Christmas. She loves Christmas." The man pleaded as he worried his hat in his hand, obviously nervous in the powerful man's presence. A cryochamber was wheeled in by a group of workers, containing a young woman.

"Does she? Oh, does she? I see. Hello. Wakey, wakey." Sardick knocked on the chamber window with his walking stick. "It's Christmas. Do you know what? I think she's a bit cool about the whole thing. Ha, ha!" No one else laughed and Sardick glared at his workers. "That was funny."

The servants chuckled obediently like trained dogs, just as afraid as anyone else of angering the imposing man.

"She's frozen." The boy said.

"She's what, sorry?" Sardick asked him, sarcasm evident.

"She's in the ice. She can't hear you." The boy replied.

"Oh, what a clever little boy." Sardick patted his head before looking up at his parents. "You must be so irritated." He turned to one of his servants. "How much?"

"Er, it's four thousand five hundred Gideons, sir." A servant said looking into a large account book.

"You took a loan of four thousand five hundred Gideons, and Little Miss Christmas is my security." Sardick stated.

"We're not asking for her back. Just let her have one day. Let her have Christmas with us." The man tried to reason with Sardick.

"Sir, it's the President." Another servant brought in a ringing candlestick telephone.

"Tell him I'm busy." Sardick said flaunting his power. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes. She's pretty, though, your daughter." He looked over the girl in ice. "Maybe I should keep her."

"She's not my daughter, sir." The man said.

"She's my sister. She volunteered for the ice when the family were in difficulties many years ago." The woman stepped forward.

"Sorry, sir." The servant interrupted again. "The President says there's a galaxy class ship trapped in the cloud layer and, well, we have to let it land."

"Or?" Sardick asked.

"Well, or it'll crash, sir." The servant replied hesitantly.

"Oh. Well, it's a kind of landing, isn't it?" Sardick said to the horror of those present.

"It's from Earth, sir, registering over four thousand lifeforms on board." The servant tried.

"Not if we wait a bit." Sardick said carelessly.

"You can't just let it crash, sir." The servant argued weakly.

"Says who? Oh, give it here." Sardick snatched the telephone from the servant. "Look, petal, we already have a surplus population. No more people allowed on this planet. I don't make the rules." No one notices the soot falling down the chimney except for the boy. "Oh no, hang on, I do." Sardick hangs up the receiver looking back to the family with a sneer. "Right, you lot. Poor, begging people. Off home and pray for a miracle."

"Ah." The Doctor tumbled out of the fireplace in a shower of soot. "Yes. Blimey. Sorry." The Doctor stood up shaking the soot from himself. "Christmas Eve on a rooftop. Saw a chimney, my whole brain just went, what the hell." There was a tapping on the window and the Doctor rushed over letting Stella in. "Hang on a tick."

"See a mess, just like I said." Stella said taking his offered hand as she stepped down into the room.

She wore a long v neck bishop sleeved dress that was buttoned up the front, a slit up the front of the skirt up to her knees, black tights that tucked into knee length suede black boots. The dress itself was black with a navy blue and maroon damask pattern as well as lilac accents. Her hair hung down to her waist in long loose waves with a black floppy sun hat.

"But it was fun." The Doctor tapped Stella on the nose leaving a bit of ash before he going over to the family. "Don't worry, fat fellow will be doing the rounds later. I'm just scoping out the general chimney-ness. Yes. Nice size, good traction." The Doctor placed his hand on the chimney, then yelped as it burned his hand. "Big tick."

"Fat fellow?" The man asked as Stella took his burning hand in his, her cool hands soothing it.

"Father Christmas, Santa Claus or, as I've always known him, Jeff." The Doctor replied easily, wrapping his arm around Stella.

"There's no such person as Father Christmas." The boy shook his head.

"Oh, yeah?" Stella produced a small blue book and flips through more photos than should have been able to fit in the thin small book. "Astaire, Follies, Hawaii, Juniper, Pluto 10.5…." Stella listed of various people and places they had visited which were in the book until she stopped at an old photograph. "Here we are."

"Me and Father Christmas, Frank Sinatra's hunting lodge, 1952. See him at the back with the blonde? Albert Einstein." The Doctor bragged taking the picture from Stella and holding it up for the others to see. "The four of us together. Brrm. Watch out. Okay? Keep the faith." The Doctor rubbed the top of the boys head and handing the pictures back to Stella. "Stay off the naughty list." The Doctor spotted what looked like a big cinema organ and grabbing Stella's hand ran over to it. "Ooo. Now, what's this then? I love this. A big flashy lighty thing. That's what brought us here, right love?

"It is, just can't ignore a good big flashy lighty thing, has our names written all over them." Stella remarked as her eyes scanned the machine taking in all of the readings she was picking up.

"Not actually, but give me time, and a crayon." The Doctor rubbed his hands together.

"I prefer markers, I'm a big kid." Stella said loftily. As if rehearsed the Doctor and Stella turned to each other at the same time sticking their tongues out at each other childishly.

"Now, this big flashy lighty thing is connected to the spire in your dome, yeah? And it controls the sky. Well, technically it controls the clouds, which technically aren't clouds at all." The Doctor moved around the room coming up to the cryochamber, Stella staying next to the machine, leaning against it one hand braced on the counter with a thoughtful look, her fingers glowing blue. "Well, they're clouds of tiny particles of ice. Ice clouds. Love that. Who's she?"

"Nobody important." Sardick replied.

"Nobody important." The Doctor echoed. "Blimey, that's amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before." He turned to Stella. "Stella?"

"I've met a lot of people and all of them were important in my opinion, so yeah this is a first for me as well." Stella placed her hands on her hips.

"Now, this console is the key to saving that ship, or I'll eat my hat. If I had a hat. I'll eat someone's hat." The Doctor ran back over to Stella and the machine.

"Don't you even think about it or the bow tie gets it." Stella threatened with a narrowed gaze, her lips pursed.

"Not someone who's using their hat." The Doctor assured her, pecking her on her pursed lips. "I don't want to shock a nun, or something." The Doctor fiddled with the controls of the large machine. "Sorry, rambling, because, because this isn't working!"

"The controls are isomorphic. One to one. They respond only to me." Sardick walked over to them.

"Oh, you fibber. Isomorphic. There's no such thing." The Doctor argued and Stella shot him a confused look.

She knew that he knew that there was such a thing, they had encountered such things on previous adventures. Sardick reached over not taking his eyes from the Doctor and switched it off then on again. When the Doctor tried all he got were annoyed beeps, even with the screwdriver.

"These controls are isomorphic." The Doctor mumbled as he looked over the readings on his screwdriver.

"The skies of this entire world are mine." Sardick informed him. "My family tamed them, and now I own them."

"Tamed the sky? What does that mean?" Stella questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It means I'm Kazran Sardick. How can you possibly not know who I am?" Sardick questioned back.

"Well, just easily bored, I suppose." The Doctor commented as Stella shrugged out a nod of agreement.

"Not to important I suppose." Stella hummed.

"So, I need your help, then." The Doctor said.

"Make an appointment." Sardick replied.

"There are four thousand and three people in a spaceship trapped in your cloud belt." The Doctor said seriously. "Without your help, they're going to die."

"Yes." Sardick agreed.

"You don't have to let that happen." The Doctor said.

"I know, but I'm going to. Bye, bye. Bored now. Chuck." Sardick turned from them and they were taken by the old man's guards. The Doctor and Stella wriggled out of the clutches of a servant, stalking up to Sardick, who was settling into a tall leather armchair by the fireplace. "Ooo, look at you, looking all tough now."

"There are four thousand and three people I won't allow to die tonight. Do you know where that puts you?" The Doctor glared as Stella stood behind him, her eyes cold.

"Where?" Sardick asked without any real interest.

"Four thousand and four." Stella replied evenly.

"Was that a sort of threat-y thing?" Sardick was not impressed.

"It was a chance, the only chance you'll get from us." Stella said warningly.

"Whatever happens tonight, remember you brought it on yourself." The Doctor added.

"Yeah, yeah, right. Get him out of here. And next time, try and find me some funny poor people." Sardick ordered turning his back on them. The boy broke away from the men trying to hustle them out, quickly snatched up a stray piece of coal, and chucked it at Sardick striking him on the back of the head. Sardick clamped his hand over where the coal had hit in pain. He shot to his feet in anger and bared down on the child, raising his hand to strike him down.

"No, stop, don't." The Doctor called out, the men stopping him from getting away.

"Don't you dare. You leave him." The boy's father tried, but was held back as well. Stella gripped the man trying to hold her back flipping him over her shoulder before running in front of the child glaring up at Sardick.

"Don't you lay a hand on him, only a monster would strike a child." Stella bit out as the child gazed fearfully from behind Stella up at Sardick. Stella's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the play of emotions on Sardick's face before widening at what she saw.

"Get him out of here. Get that foul-smelling family out of here. Out!" Sardick bellowed out in rage that covered a much deeper emotion.

"We're going!" The boy snapped as he and his family left, but the Doctor and Stella remained behind.

"What? What do you want?" Sardick snapped at him, shaken by the encounter.

"A simple life to share with Stella." The Doctor said entwining his fingers with Stella's as they walked over to Sardick. "But you didn't hit the boy."

"Your woman got in the way." Sardick said bitterly.

"You could have easily struck him before I got there." Stella replied, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, I will next time." Sardick glowered.

"You see, you won't. Now why? What am I missing?" The Doctor looked around the room.

"Get out. Get out of this house." Sardick snapped.

"The chairs." Stella said softly.

"Of course, the chairs." The Doctor smiled kissing Stella on the corner of her mouth. "Stupid me, brilliant Stella, the chairs."

"The chairs?" Sardick asked begrudgingly curious.

"There's a portrait on the wall behind me. Looks like you, but it's too old, so it's your father." The Doctor rattled off. "All the chairs are angled away from it. Daddy's been dead for twenty years, but you still can't get comfortable where he can see you. There's a Christmas tree in the painting, but none in this house, on Christmas Eve. You're scared of him, and you're scared of being like him, and good for you, you're not like him, not really." The Doctor grinned widely. "Do you know why?"

"Why?" Sardick asked, almost desperate for the answer, for the proof.

"Because you didn't hit the boy." Stella said with a soft smile, her eyes glittering with excitement.

"Merry Christmas, Mister Sardick." The Doctor grinned.

"I despise Christmas." Sardick sneered.

"You shouldn't." The Doctor said. "It's very you."

"It's what? What do you mean?" Sardick asked.

"Halfway out of the dark." The Doctor replied as the servants returned, the Doctor and Stella leaving.

"Get her downstairs with the others. And clean up this mess." Sardick snapped at his servants, unnerved by the events.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella made their way out of the mansion hand in hand. The street was disserted except for the family loading up in their mode of transportation. A soft snow had started to fall around them and the only lights came from the lamps.

"Everything's offline. Secondary furnace just vented." The Co-Pilot called out over the chaos.

"Have you got a plan yet?" Amy asked the Doctor and Stella over the comm.

"Yes, I do." The Doctor said confidently.

"Stella is he lying?" Amy asked over the comm.

"Yes, he is." Stella nodded getting an overly betrayed look from the Doctor. Stella stood on her tiptoes pecking him on the lips making him smile again.

"Don't treat me like an idiot." Amy said sternly.

"Was he lying?" Rory asked.

"No, no." Amy replied patting his chest.

"Okay, the good news, we've tracked the machine that unlocks the cloud belt." The Doctor said happily, wrapping his arm around Stella holding her close to his side. "I could use it to clear you a flight corridor and you could land easily."

"Oh, hey. Hey, that's great news." Amy cheered.

"But we can't control the machine." Stella commented patting the Doctor on his chest.

"Less great." Amy frowned.

"But we've met a man who can." The Doctor spoke up.

"Ah, well…" Amy said with a shrug. "There you go."

"And he hates us." Stella sighed.

"Doctor, were you being extra charming and clever?" Amy asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. How did you know?" The Doctor smiled.

"Lucky guess." Amy muttered. "Stella, why didn't you stop him?"

"Cause I wasn't being on my best behavior either." Stella informed her.

"Oh no…" Amy muttered, almost sound as if she was going to be ill.

"Sir? Ma'am?" The father came up to them.

"Hang on." The Doctor covered the comm.

"Can we help you?" Stella asked politely.

"I've never seen anybody stand up to Mister Sardick like that." The father beamed at the Doctor then looked to Stella, shaking both of their hands enthusiastically. "And thank you ma'am for protecting my boy. Bless you both and merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. Lovely. Sorry, bit busy." The Doctor nodded to his comm.

"You'd better get inside, sir. The fog's thick tonight, and there's a fish warning." Benjamin cautioned them.

"All right, yeah." The Doctor nodded and then realized what he had said. "Sorry, fish?"

"Yeah. You know what they're like when they get a bit hungry." Benjamin replied.

"Yeah, fish, I know fish. Fish?" The Doctor was still confused and looking to Stella saw that she was as well.

"It's all Mister Sardick's fault, I reckon. He always lets a few fish through the cloud layer when he's in a bad mood." Benjamin replied sourly. "Thank you. Bless you both once again."

"Fish?" The Doctor looked to Stella as the family went on their way.

"I have no idea." Stella shook her head.

"Doctor, the Captain says we've got less than an hour." Amy called out over the comm. The Doctor rubbed the back of his head in agitation, but Stella's attention was taken by something else. "What should we be doing?"

"Doctor, look." Stella said in wonder, the Doctor following her gaze to where a shoal of tiddlers were swimming around a street light. "Fish."

"Sorry, what?" Amy asked.

"Fish that can swim in fog." The Doctor grinned as he and Stella walked over to them. "I love new planets."

"Doctor, Stella, please don't get distracted." Amy pleaded in annoyance as the little fish nibbled at the Doctor and Stella's outstretched fingers while a big shadow passes some way behind them unnoticed.

"Now, why would people be frightened of you tiny little fellows? Look at you, sweet little fishy-wishies." The Doctor cooed.

"They're so cute." Stella said with a laugh as they circled her head.

"Mind you, fish in the fog, so the cloud cover. Ooo. Careful up there." The Doctor told Amy.

"Oh great, thanks, Doctor, because there was a real danger we were all going to nod off. We've got less than an hour!" Amy snapped out sarcastically.

"We know." The Doctor replied as the clock tower struck eleven o clock.

' _Ding dong merrily on high…'_

"Doctor?" Amy called out. "How are you and Stella getting us off here?"

"Oh, just give me a minute. Can't use the Tardis, because it can't lock on." The Doctor popped himself on the head. "So, that ship needs to land."

"But it can't land unless a very bad man suddenly decides to turn nice just in time for Christmas Day." Stella tapped her chin as she paced with the Doctor.

"I can't hear you. What is that? Is that singing?" Amy asked loudly.

"A Christmas carol." The Doctor replied.

"A what?" Amy asked, not able to hear them.

"A Christmas carol." Stella said a little louder.

"A what?" Amy asked louder.

"A Christmas Carol!" The Doctor and Stella said together into the comm. Their eyes lit up as they connected, the same idea hitting them both as they grinned in excitement.

' _Hosanna in excelsis…'_

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy called out.

' _Gloria…'_

"Kazran Sardick." The Doctor and Stella looked up to the mansion.

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy tried to gain their attention again.

"Merry Christmas, Kazran Sardick." Stella grinned.

' _Hosanna in excelsis…'_

-0-

Kazran Sardick sat in his big leather chair sound asleep and unaware of what was about to happen to him. Suddenly one of the walls was illuminated with a projector depicting a video recording of a young boy in his pajamas making a video diary on his computer.

"Hello, my name is Kazran Sardick. I'm twelve and a half, and this is my bedroom." The small boy said in excitement. "Top secret special project. This is my top secret special project. For my eyes only. Merry Christmas."

"Kazran!" A loud frightening voice forced old Sardick awake at the shout from his father. He looked up at the scene of his young self being projected on the far wall where the main door. He fearfully stood to his feet as the film played out, terror in his eyes and movements. "Kazran! Kazran, what are you doing?" The old man burst into the young boys room, all anger and bitterness. "What are you doing?" The father, Elliot, stormed over to the boy at his desk looking into the camera. "I've warned you before about this, you stupid, ignorant, ridiculous child.

"I was just going to make a film of the fish." Kazran tried to explain to the irate man.

"The fish are dangerous." His father snapped.

"I just want to see them." Kazran said, tense and fearful of the angry parent.

"Don't be stupid. You're far too young." The father dismissed him with a snarl as he stalked around the boy.

"Everyone at school's seen the fish." Kazran pleaded.

"That's enough. You'll be singing to them next, like gypsies." His father raged.

"The singing works. I've seen it. The fish like the singing." Karan told him.

"What does it matter what fish like?" His father snapped.

"People say we don't have to be afraid of the fish. They're not really interested in us." Kazran told his father.

"You don't listen to people. You listen to me." His father hit him, hard, Sardick flinching as he remembered the pain of the hit.

"Ow!" Kazran cried out in pain, both physical and emotional. "I'm sorry, Father."

"This is my house. While you're under my roof, you'll obey my instructions. I don't care what you…." Sardick flinched hard when the Doctor touched his shoulder, causing him to turn sharply.

"It's okay, it's okay." The Doctor said soothingly.

"What have you done? What is this?" Sardick snapped, on the verge of tears.

"Found it on an old drive. Sorry about the picture quality. Had to recover the data using quantum enfolding and a paperclip." The Doctor explained as he took Sardick's chair, pulling Stella into his lap then grabbing a new paper, flipping it open.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother calling your servants. They quit." Stella said when it seemed Sardick was making a move to do so, pulling on the bell rope. "Apparently they won the lottery at exactly the same time, which is a bit lucky when you think about it."

"There isn't a lottery." Sardick argued.

"Yeah, as she said, lucky." The Doctor smiled up at him.

"There's a fog warning tonight. You keep these windows closed, understand? Closed." Sardicks father ordered sharply closing the windows as Kazran cried into his arms on his desk.

"Who are you?" Sardick eyed them both.

"Tonight, the Ghosts Of Christmas Past." The Doctor grinned lightly.

"Mrs. Mantovani will be looking after you tonight. You stay here till she comes. Do you understand? Do you understand?" Sardick's father snapped harshly.

"Did you ever get to see a fish, back then, when you were a kid?" Stella asked standing up from the Doctor's lap.

"What does that matter to you?" Sardick asked bitterly.

"Look how it mattered to you." The Doctor commented, standing up as well, as they looked to his younger self sobbing on his desk.

"I cried all night, and I learned life's most invaluable lesson." Sardick replied.

"Which is?" Stella asked.

"Nobody comes." Sardick sneered. "Get out! Get out of my house!"

"Okay. Okay, but I'll be back. Way back. Way, way back." The Doctor pulled Stella through the door to a hall and into the Tardis, which dematerialized and rematerialized outside Kazran's window on the film. They stepped into the boy's room to said boys shock as he quickly sat up wiping the tears from his face. "See? Back."

"Hello!" Stella waved her hands with a wide smile.

"Who are you?" Kazran asked them.

"Hi. I'm the Doctor and this is my beautiful fiancé Stella, can't say that enough." The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her against his chest.

"Wait till you get to call me wife." Stella placed her hands on his chest.

"A day I am looking forward to." The Doctor started to lean down.

"Doctor, Kazran." Stella reminded him.

"Oh right." The Doctor and Stella glanced over to Kazran who was making a face at them. The Doctor quickly pecked Stella on her lips before he turned to the boy fully. "We're your new babysitters."

"Here we go, no more tears." Stella pulled out a handkerchief of blue with a swirling star pattern in gold on it and handed it to Kazran.

"Where's Mrs. Mantovani?" Kazran asked, wiping away a few more stray tears with the handkerchief.

"Oh, you'll never guess." The Doctor explained as he jumped up and started to bounce on the bed. "Clever old Mrs. Manters, she only went and won the lottery."

"There isn't any lottery." Kazran argued.

"I know." The Doctor replied jumping down from the bed. "What a woman."

"If you're my babysitters, why are you climbing in the window?" Kazran asked.

"Because if we were climbing out of the window, we'd be going in the wrong direction." Stella pointed out as she ruffled his hair. "Pay attention."

"But Mrs. Mantovani's always my babysitter." Kazran was still confused.

"Times change. Wouldn't you say?" The Doctor leaned into the camera. "You see? Christmas Past."

"Who are you talking to?" Karan asked in confusion.

"You." The Doctor replied. "Now, your past is going to change. That means your memories will too."

"Bit scary, but you'll get the hang of it." Stella winked into the camera.

"I don't understand." Kazran furrowed his bows.

"I'll bet you don't. I wish I could see your face." The Doctor pointed between Kazran and the camera.

"Right then, your bedroom." The Doctor sat back down on the bed, Stella sitting next to him. "Great. Let's see. You're twelve years old, so we'll stay away from under the bed." The Doctor started to look under the bed, but quickly abandoned that idea before moving over to the cupboard. "Cupboard! Big cupboard. I love a cupboard." The Doctor opened the cupboard peering into it. "Do you know, there's a thing called a face spider? It's just like a tiny baby's head with spider legs, and it's specifically evolved to scuttle up the backs of bedroom cupboards which."

"Doctor!" Stella snapped throwing a pillow and hitting on the back of his head making him yelp.

"What?" The Doctor whined, rubbing his head.

"Do you really think that's a good thing to tell Kazran?" Stella gave him a sharp look, nodding to Kazran who looked terrified.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have mentioned." The Doctor dropped his hand from his head. "Right..so…what are we going to do? Eat crisps and talk about girls? I've never actually done that, but I bet it's easy. Girls? Yeah?"

"And what would you say about these girls, Doctor?" Stella asked with a raised eyebrow as she stood up with her arms crossed.

"That they are not nearly as beautiful as my lovely Stella." The Doctor said quickly as he twirled her around and dropping her into a dip making her smile.

"Are you really a babysitter?" Kazran eyed the couple.

"I think you'll find I'm universally recognized as a mature and responsible adult." The Doctor brought Stella back up and took out his psychic paper holding it up to Kazran.

"It's just a lot of wavy lines." Kazran eyed the paper.

"Yeah, it's shorted out. Finally, a lie too big." The Doctor frowned tucking it back away as Stella laughed. "Okay, no, not really a babysitter, but it's Christmas Eve." The Doctor said to Kazran. "You don't want a real one. You want us."

"Why? What's so special about you two?" Kazran asked.

"Have you ever seen Mary Poppins?" The Doctor asked.

"Or Nanny McPhee?" Stella asked.

"No." Kazran shook his head.

"Good. Because those comparisons would've been rubbish." The Doctor said.

"Fish in the fog. Fish in the clouds." Stella said as she started to sway back and forth.

"How do people ever get bored? How did boredom even get invented?" The Doctor asked said bounding up to the window and standing on the frame looking outside.

"My dad's invented a machine to control the cloud belt. Tame the sky, he says. The fish'll be able to come down, but only when we let them. We can charge whatever we like." Kazran told them as he walked over to where the Doctor was, Stella following.

"Yeah. We've seen your dad's machine." The Doctor said as behind him past the open window a shark glided behind him, but no one took notice of it. The Doctor looking out when it had already passed by and was once again out of sight.

"What? You can't have." Kazran said.

"Tame the sky. Human beings. You always manage to find the boring alternative, don't you?" The Doctor shook his head looking back to Kazran.

"You want to see one? A fish. We can do that. We can see a fish." Stella said in excitement changing the subject as she bounced on her heels making Kazran smiled hopefully.

"Aren't you going to tell me it's dangerous?" Kazran asked curiously.

"Dangerous? Come on, we're boys. And you know what boys say in the face of danger?" The Doctor said with bravado as he jumped from the window seal moving past Kazran and back over to Stella.

"What?" Kazran asked.

"Mummy or in my case more often than not Stella." The Doctor said with a smile.

Later, the sonic screwdriver was dangling from a string passed through a lamp fitting in the ceiling and leading into the cupboard where the other end was tied to the Doctor's finger.

"Are there any face spiders in here?" Kazran asked nervously.

"Nah, not at this time of night. They'll all be sleeping in your mattress." The Doctor replied getting a smack on the arm from Stella. "Ow!"

"So, why are you so interested in fish?" Stella asked as the Doctor rubbed his arm with a pout.

"Because they're scary." Kazran said.

"Good answer." The Doctor approved.

"What kind of tie is that?" Kazran asked, looking to the Doctor's bow tie.

"A cool one." The Doctor said.

"Why is it cool?" Kazran asked.

"Why are you really interested in fish?" The Doctor asked back.

"My school. During the last fog belt, the nets broke and there was an attack. Loads of them. A whole shoal. No one was hurt, but it was the most fish ever seen below the mountains." Kazran told them.

"Were you scared?" Stella asked.

"I wasn't there. I was off sick." Kazran frowned.

"Ooo, lucky you." The Doctor said then saw his look. "Not lucky."

"It's all anyone ever talks about now. The day the fish came. Everyone's got a story." Kazran shrugged despondently.

"But you don't." The Doctor said then looked to the camera. "I see."

"Why are you recording this?" Kazran asked eyeing his recorder.

"Do you pay attention at school, Kazran?" The Doctor asked.

"Sorry, what?" Kazran asked.

"Because you're not paying attention now." Stella commented as she looked to the string which was being tugged on. Stella placed her finger to her lips as she and the Doctor stood up. "Sush…"

"Doctor, Stella, are you sure?" Kazran asked.

"Trust us." The Doctor grinned.

"Okay." Kazran still looked unsure.

"Oi. Eyes on the tie. Look at me. I wear it and I don't care. Trust us." The Doctor smiled adjusting his bow tie.

"Yes." Kazran nodded.

"That's why it's cool, Stella stay with the kid." The Doctor kissed her forehead.

"Got it! Try not to get yourself into a mess." Stella said, receiving a quick wink before he ducked out of the cupboard to find a small fish is investigating the flashing sonic screwdriver.

"Hello, fishy. Let's see. Interesting. Crystalline fog, eh? Maybe carrying a tiny electrical charge. Is that how you fly, little fishy?" The Doctor cooed at the small fish.

"What is it?" Kazran asked from the cupboard. "What kind? Can I see?"

"Just stay there a moment." The Doctor replied.

"You're not getting in trouble are you?" Stella asked suspiciously.

"Oh ye of little faith." The Doctor muttered.

"Is it big?" Kazran asked.

"Nah, just a little one. So, little fellow, what do you eat?" The Doctor asked the fish not noticing the shark until it was too late. It swooped in devouring the little fish and the sonic screwdriver in one big toothy bite as the Doctor jumped back.

"How little?" Kazran asked.

"Er…." The Doctor watched wide eyed as the shark devoured the fish.

"Can we come out?" Kazran asked.

"No, no. Maybe just wait there for a moment." The Doctor said quickly as he edged away from the shark back toward the cupboard.

"What color is it?" Kazran asked.

"Big. Big color." The Doctor said in a high voice.

"Big? Big is not a color? Doctor, what's happening? Did you get yourself into a mess?" Stella asked in concern before he burst through the cupboard doors slamming them shut behind him.

"Well, concentrating on the plusses, Kazran definitely has a story of his own now. Also, I got a good look at the fish, and I think I understand how the fog works, which is going to help us land a spaceship in the future and save a lot of lives. And I bet I get some very interesting readings off my sonic screwdriver when I get it back from the shark in your bedroom." The Doctor listed off with a scared and excited smile.

"There's a shark in my bedroom?" Kazran asked in shock.

"I told you not to get into a mess!" Stella admonished him.

"Oh fine, focus on that part." The Doctor said as he pressed his back against the cupboard door which rattled furiously. There was one last loud bang against the door, then it went quiet.

"Has it gone? What's it doing?" Kazran asked.

"What do you call it if you don't have any feet, and you're taking a run-up?" The Doctor asked.

"A swim up?" Stella offered before grabbing the Doctor away from the door and pushing Kazran against the back wall just as the shark burst. They pressed against the back as far as they could while the shark tried to get at them, the contents of the cupboard raining down on them as they scrambled.

"It's going to eat us. It's going to eat us. It's going to eat us. Is it going to eat us?" Kazran panicked as the shark was stuck in the cupboard door still trying to get at them.

"Well, maybe we're going to eat it, but I don't like the odds." Stella said eyeing the shark as she held Kazran in her arms, shielding him from the shark.

"It's stuck, though. Let's see. Tiny shark brain. If I had my screwdriver, I could probably send a pulse and stun it." The Doctor commented.

"Well, where's your screwdriver?" Kazran asked loudly.

"Well, concentrating on the plusses, within reach." The Doctor pointed out. "You know, there's a real chance the way it's wedged in the doorway is keeping its mouth open."

"There is?" Kazran asked dubiously.

"Just agree with me, because I've only got two goes, and then it's your and Stella's turn." The Doctor said rolling up his sleeves.

"Two goes?" Kazran asked.

"Two arms. Right, then. Okay. Geronimo. Open wide." The Doctor started to leap forward, but was pulled back by his coat. "Stella! What…" Stella held up her glowing blue fingers which emitted a warm hum with a raised eyebrow. "Oh…right…"

"You just wanted to stick your arm down its throat." Stella rolled her eyes before holding out her hand and emitting the pulse that stunned the shark causing it to go limp.

"How do we get out?" Kazran asked eyeing the shark that was still blocking the door.

"Stella?" The Doctor looked to her.

"Well I can't think of everything." Stella rolled her eyes.

-0-

Later outside Kazran's bedroom window, the shark was lying still stunned at the Doctor's feet. Kazran and Stella kneeled on either side of the shark while the Doctor fiddled with his sonic, well what was left of it.

"What's the big fishy done to you? Swallowed half of you, that's what. Half a screwdriver, what use is that? Bad, big fishy." The Doctor pouted as he smacked his half a screw driver which whirled sickly in his hand.

"I think she's dying." Kazran said with a sad frown.

"Half my screwdriver's still inside, but yeah, I think so." The Doctor said softly. "I doubt they can survive long outside the cloud belt."

"Just quick raiding trips on a foggy night." Stella commended.

"Can't we get it back up there? We were just going to stun it. I didn't want to kill it." Karan said tearfully.

"She was trying to eat you." The Doctor pointed out softly.

"She was hungry." Kazran argued.

"I'm sorry, Kazran. I can't save her." The Doctor apologized. "I could take her back up there, but she'd never survive the trip."

"We need a fully functioning life-support." Stella told him.

"You mean like an icebox?" Kazran perked up. "Okay."

The couple looked to each other in confusion as the boy popped up to his feet and raced back inside the house. They soon followed him out of his room and down the stairs back to the main sitting room where there is a professionally decorated Christmas tree.

"Ooo, a tree." The Doctor paused nearly causing Stella to run into him.

"Focus my love." Stella pulled him along after Kazran who grabbed a lamp before heading down even more stairs and up to a large circular metal door.

"What is this?" The Doctor asked as he looked through the small window in the door.

"The surplus population. That's what my Dad calls it." Kazran replied as he tried to open it. "Oh, it's not turning. Oh, why won't it turn?"

"Ah, what's the number?" The Doctor asked looking to the keypad, trying his half a sonic with no luck.

"I don't know." Kazran replied.

"Stella?" The Doctor looked to her and she waved her hand over it, fingers humming.

"Deadlocked." Stella shook her head. "And this place is full of alarms. It's not just the door. If I force it all of the alarms will go off."

"I need the number." The Doctor grumbled.

"I'm not allowed to know until I'm older." Kazran told him causing the Doctor's face to light up.

"Stella, stay with Kazran, I'll be right back." The Doctor said pecking her on the cheek and ruffling Kazran's hair.

"Where's he going?" Kazran asked.

"To ask someone who knows the code." Stella replied.

"But only my father knows and he won't tell him." Kazran said.

"There's one other person who knows it." Stella told him.

"Who?" Kazran asked.

"You." Stella replied.

"But I told you, I won't know until I'm older." Kazran said.

"Exactly." Stella smiled brightly while Kazran looked at her in confusion just before they heard the Doctor racing back down the stairs, the Tardis now at the top of the stairs.

"Seven two five eight. Seven two five eight." The Doctor chanted going up to the wheel as Stella typed the code into the keypad opening the door allowing them inside.

"Ah, there's fish down here, too." Stella took note of the small fish swimming about the mist.

"Yeah, but only tiny ones. The house is built on a fog lake, that's how Dad freezes the people. They're all full, but we could borrow one." Kazran led them through all of the frozen people in their refrigerator like coffins before stopping at a young woman, Isabella's sister. "Yeah, this one."

"Hello again." The Doctor said as he and Stella peered in at the sleeping girl.

"You know her?" Kazran asked them.

"Why her? Important, is she?" Stella asked instead of answering.

"She won't mind. She loves the fish." Kazran started a recording of the young girl.

"My name is Abigail Pettigrew, and I'm very grateful for Mister Sardick's kindness. My father…" Abigail spoke.

"She starts to talk about the fish in a minute." Kazran told them.

"But I would not allow it. I could not have chosen this path were it not for the compassion and generosity of the great philanthropist and patron of the poor, Mister Elliot Sardick. But I'm also surrounded by the fish, the beautiful, iridescent, magical fish." Abigail said with a dreamy happy smile as the Doctor and Stela wondered down the aisles of frozen people, peering in on them.

"Why are these people here?" The Doctor asked.

"They dash beneath the light as they dart through the fog." Abigail went on.

"What's all this for?" Stella asked.

"My dad lends money. He always takes a family member as, he calls it security." Kazran said and they took in the hundreds of ice boxes surrounding them, filling the cavern.

"Hard man to love, your dad." The Doctor said as Kazran frowned. "But I suppose you know that."

"Nature. I am not alone, and I am at peace." Abigail said and the recording ended.

"What's wrong?" Kazran asked as he took note of the Doctor screw driver beeping.

"Just my half a screwdriver trying to repair itself. It's signaling the other half." The Doctor said easily as he took out his bot of a sonic, holding it up as it beeped.

"The other half's inside the shark." Kazran pointed out, glancing at Stella when she gently took hold of his shoulders.

"Yeah? Sounds like she's woken up. Okay, so it's homing on the screwdriver." The Doctor mused then his eyes widened in realization as he heard the echoing beep.

Stella pushed the Doctor to one side and tackled Kazran to the other side as the shark dove between them. She hoisted Kazran up pulling him along as the Doctor made a mad dash the other way. They ran down multiple aisles before Stella found them a hiding spot, both of them unaware of the shark moving past them from behind. Suddenly a soft sweet voice filled the air and everything was calm. They moved from their hiding spots coming upon Abigail singing with the shark in her lap, completely content like a lap dog.

' _In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan. Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone. Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow. In the bleak midwinter long ago.'_

Stella started to hum along with Abigail, picking up the harmony causing the young woman to smile up at her inviting her into the song. Stella smiled back as she kneeled on the floor across from Abigail, harmonizing along with her. The Doctor stumbled out from between some of the chambers whirling around until his eyes fell on Stella with Kazran, the woman from the pod, and the shark. He smiled at the sight as he walked up to them standing next to Kazran.

"It's not really the singing, of course." The Doctor commented.

"Yes, it is." Kazran whispered back.

"Nah." The Doctor shook his head.

"The fish love the singing. It's true." Kazran argued.

"Nah. The notes resonate in the ice crystals, causing a delta wave pattern in the fog." The Doctor explained before calling out due to a sharp pain on his neck. "Ow. A fish bit me."

"Shut up, then." Kazran snapped.

' _Heaven and earth shall flee away…_ ' Abigail and Stella sang, Stella smiling up at the Doctor in amusement.

"Of course. That's how the machine controls the cloud belt. The clouds are ice crystals. If you vibrate the crystals at exactly the right frequency, you could align them into ow! Why do they keep biting me?" The Doctor clapped his hand over his neck.

"Look, the fish like the singing, okay? Now shut up." Kazran snapped, pointing at him sternly.

"Okay." The Doctor pouted.

' _In the bleak midwinter, falling down before, the ox and ass and camel which adore.'_ Stella and Abigail sang on while in the future the portrait behind Sardick's chair is now of Abigail, not his father.

-0-

"It's bigger on the inside." Kazran said in amazement as he and Abigail looked inside the Tardis.

"Yeah, it's the color. Really knocks the walls back." The Doctor nodded as Stella loaded the shark into Abigail's cryochamber then into the Tardis.

"Shark in a box, to go." Stella called out cheerfully, setting the box down.

"This is amazing." Abigail smiled as the Doctor and Stella sat the Tardis into motion.

"Nah, this is transport. We keep amazing out here." The Doctor opened the doors revealing a sea of clouds bathed in the light of a setting sun. Beautiful fish of all kinds of species darted through the clouds, the light glinting off of their scales. The Doctor moved over to the shark typing into the keypad. "Come on, then. Let's get this shark out"

"Hey, look at her go." Young Kazran said as the shark took off, then he looked to Abigail. He took out his camera and took a photograph of her, the sun illuminating her face which was alight with wonder. The Doctor closed Abigail's cryochamber and saw a set of dials on the front - 000 008.

"Abigail, this number. What does it mean?" The Doctor asked.

"It pertains to me, sir, not the fish." Abigail replied, her face sad.

"Yeah, but how?" The Doctor asked.

"You are a doctor, you say? Are you one of mine?" Abigail asked.

"Do you need a doctor?" Stella asked worriedly, but the microwave went ding before Abigail could answer.

"Ah. Sorry. Time's up, kids." The Doctor said as he quickly went to the controls.

"Why?" Kazran asked.

"It's nearly Christmas Day." The Doctor replied returning to the cryovault where they put Abigail back in her cryochamber.

"If you should ever wish to visit again." Abigail smiled to them.

"Well, you know, if we're ever in the neighborhood." The Doctor shrugged as he leaned against the cryochamber.

"They come every Christmas Eve." Kazran broke in.

"What?" The Doctor yelped.

"Yeah, they do. Every time. They promise." Kazran said quickly.

"No, I don't." The Doctor argued.

"Sounds good to me, see you at Christmas." Stella waved happily.

"Stella!" The Doctor whipped around to her as Kazran shut Abigail's cryochamber. Then it opened again, with the Doctor Stella and Kazran wearing Santa hats. The Doctor carried a very large harness, Kazran held onto some blankets, and Stella up a cloak of light blue.

"Merry Christmas!" They all said together.

"Doctor Stella! What are we going to do?" Abigail beamed.

"The Doctor and Stella have a great plan. Wait till you hear." Kazran told her as they all ran out of the vault, no one noticing the dials on Abigail's chamber clicking down to 000 007.

-0-

"You are out of your mind. This will never work." Abigail said as she eyed the carriage they had procured, but had nothing to pull it. Stella stood next to the Doctor who was pointing his half a sonic screwdriver into the sky.

"Oh, don't think shark, think dolphin." The Doctor assured her.

"A shark isn't a dolphin." Abigail argued.

"It's nearly a dolphin." The Doctor said.

"No, it isn't." Abigail remained firm, but amused.

"That's where you're wrong, because…." The Doctor struggled for a moment. "…shut up."

"That means you're right." Stella told Abigail who laughed.

"Traitor." The Doctor pouted.

"It could be anywhere. Will it really come?" Kazran asked.

"No chance. Completely impossible." The Doctor said, smiling when Stella reached up, her hand over his around the sonic with her fingers glowing blue, boosting the sonic's signal.

"Except at Christmas." Stella said with a grin and before too long they were in the air flying by a shark powered carriage.

"How are we going to get back?" Karan asked from where he sat in the back with Abigail.

"I don't know." The Doctor said as he held onto the reigns, Stella's arm looped through his.

"Do you have a plan?" Abigail asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor grinned.

"It's more fun this way!" Stella assured them as they buzzed the roof tops, causing delight to any who saw them, cheering the whole way. They spent the night in the air before it was almost dawn and time to return to the ground. They took Abigail back to the cryovault and up to her cryochamber, all of them laughing.

"Best Christmas Eve ever." Abigail smiled brightly.

"Till the next one." Kazran said before closing the chanber while in the future Sardick had an array of photographs spread before him, disturbed yet at the same time elated by the new memories that were filling his mind and his heart.

"Merry Christmas!" They all said together as they opened the chamber.

"Doctor Stella. Where to this time?" Abigail smiled to them.

"Did I mention, at any point, all of time and space?" The Doctor said smugly and they were off.

"Merry Christmas!" They all cheered opening the chamber for the next Christmas, the boys wearing bright red fez's.

"Doctor. Stella." Abigail greeted before they time travelers whisked them off to Egypt.

"Merry Christmas!" The Doctor and Stella cheered while, Kazran, a shy teenager now, mumbled his greeting. All of them wore a very long, striped scarf along with their regular clothes.

"Doctor. Stella." Abigail smiled, her counter clicked down to 4 before they left for the planet Conlis, a very mountainous and beautiful planet.

"Merry Christmas!" They all greeted the next Christmas, Kazran now a strapping young man.

"Kazran." Abigail said softly. The Doctor looked to Stella, their eyebrows raised and their arms wrapped around each other.

"Come on you two." Stella urged them into the Tardis. "Things to see and do!"

"You've grown." Abigail commented as they walked up the stairs to the console.

"Yes." Kazran ducked his head.

"And now you're blushing." Abigail smiled up at him.

"I'm sorry." Kazran shuffled a bit.

"That's okay." Abigail said.

"So, Doctor, Stella, where this time?" Kazran quickly changed the subject as he moved to eh other side of the couple who were working the controls of the Tardis.

"Pick a Christmas Eve. I've got them all right here." The Doctor told them.

"Might I make a request?" Abigail asked.

"Of course." Stella assured her.

"This one." Abigail said.

-0-

They had gone out into the town, wondering through the streets before they stopped before a home. Inside, the family was preparing for Christmas. Abigail stood outside the door watching them wistfully, whilst the Doctor Stella and Kazran were a little way off watching her.

"Who are they?" Kazran asked.

"Her family. The lady's her sister. We met her once, when she was older." The Doctor told him.

"Abigail's crying." Kazran said in concern as Abigail's tears fell down her cheeks.

"Yes." Stella nodded in agreement.

"When girls are crying, are you supposed to talk to them?" Kazran asked.

"I have absolutely no idea." The Doctor replied and Stella rolled her eyes at him.

"You go over and listen while you hold their hand." Stella told him and with an encouraging nudge sent him off to do so. He glanced over his shoulder a few times as he made his way over to Abigail, nervously standing next to her.

"My sister's family. They're so happy." Abigail said longingly.

"They look very poor." Kazran said.

"They are very poor. Doesn't mean you can't be happy." Abigail replied before the curtains were closed.

"And then why aren't you?" Kazran asked.

"Because this is the life I can never have." Abigail said tearfully.

"Why not?" Kazran asked, but instead of answering Abigail slipped her hand into his giving it a soft squeeze.

"I think you're blushing again." Abigail said with a small laugh before they were both startled when the Doctor opened the curtains from the inside as Stella waved from behind him.

"Come in." The Doctor called out. Later that evening the Doctor tried a card trick on the youngest boy while Stella watched in amusement.

"Pick a card. Any card at all." The Doctor told him. Stella shook her head glancing over to Abigail and Isabella, the sisters talking together.

"Every Christmas Eve? I don't understand." Isabella said.

"I'm not sure I do." Abigail admitted.

"You memorize the card, you put it back in the deck. Don't let me see it." The Doctor told the boy.

"Is this what it looked like last year?" Eric looked thoughtfully at the decorations, Kazran holding some of the others in his hand helping Eric.

"It doesn't have to be exactly the same." Isabella rolled her eyes.

"I'm starting again. Come on, Kazran, we're starting again." Eric said as he took down the decorations handing them to Kazran who was already wrapped in most of the lights and tensil.

"That's Sardick's boy, isn't it?" Isabella asked.

"He's not like his father." Abigail quickly defended him.

"His father treats everyone like cattle. One day that boy will do the same." Isabella told her.

"No. He's different." Abigail argued.

"The three of clubs." The Doctor held up the card.

"No." Ben shook his head.

"You sure? Because I'm very good at card tricks." The Doctor said in confusion.

"It wasn't the three of clubs." Ben said.

"Well, of course it wasn't, because it was the seven of diamonds." The Doctor held up the next card from his breast pocket.

"No." Ben almost laughed.

"Oi, stop it, you're doing it wrong." The Doctor pouted.

"Other way around love." Stella wrapped her arms around his neck as she rested her chin on top of his head.

"I see him around the town sometimes. Never any friends." Isabella said.

"He's got me." Abigail said.

"All those Christmas Eves, you never once came to see us." Isabella looked a bit hurt.

"I'm here now." Abigail told her.

"Then stay. Stay for tomorrow. Have Christmas dinner with us." Isabella tried.

"I can't." Abigail shook her head.

"Well, then." Isabella stood to her feet gaining everyone's attention. "Tomorrow's Christmas dinner is cancelled, as my sister refuses to attend."

"Isabella!" Abigail said horrified.

"Instead, we'll have it tonight." Isabella smiled and not to soon the table was set. Everyone seated at the table and crackers in hand and the Doctor counted down.

"Three, two, one, pull!" The Doctor said before they all pulled and in Ben's cracker he finds a playing card in it.

"How did you do that?" Ben asked in amazement.

"Your card, I believe." The Doctor said smugly as Ben held up the eight of hearts.

"No." Ben replied.

"Oh, shut up." The Doctor pouted.

"Well, no wonder you couldn't find it Doctor, it's here in Ben's pocket, the Queen of Hearts I believe." Stella pulled out the card handing it to Ben who lit up at the sight of it.

"That's it! How did you do that?" Ben said as he held the card in wonder.

"Show off." The Doctor pouted even more, only smiling when Stella held a piece of mistletoe above him and giving him a sweet kiss.

"Er, Merry Christmas." Kazran offered raising his glass.

"Merry Christmas." They all replied tapping their glasses together. Kazran smiling as he and Abigail held hands under the table.

-0-

"Best Christmas Eve ever." Abigail said as she stood in front of her chamber hugging the Doctor then Stella.

"Ah. Till the next one." The Doctor smiled.

"I look forward to it." Abigail nodded, then looked to Kazran. "Now I'd like to say good night to Kazran."

"Of course, yes. Well, on you go." The Doctor nodded, but didn't move from his spot despite the obvious looks he was getting.

"Night Abigail, night Kazran." Stella took the Doctor's hand in hers. "Come along Doctor."

"But…" The Doctor didn't move.

"Thank you Stella." Abigail said in amusement.

"Why is she thanking you? Where are we going?" The Doctor questioned and Stella rolled her eyes before leaning up whispering in his ear causing him to blush. "Oh. Oh. Yes. Right. Sorry. I'll, er, we'll go, then. Good night." The Doctor looked to Kazran, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good luck. Night." The Doctor corrected himself as he backed away. "Good night."

"Good night." Abigail called after them as the Doctor back up into a cryochamber almost knocking it over, but Stella reached out holding it up.

"Sorry." The Doctor said, a little embarrassed, before grabbing Stella's hand walking toward the exit. Kazran glanced from Abigail to the Doctor and Stella's retreating form before dashing after them.

"Doctor, Stella." Kazran stopped them. "I, er, I think she's going to kiss me."

"Yeah, I think you're right." The Doctor nodded.

"I've never kissed anyone before. What do I do?" Kazran asked.

"I told him what to do if a girl is crying, you get this one." Stella patted the Doctor on the shoulder, sending one last wave to Abigail, and an encouraging nod to Kazran before leaving them to it.

"Kissing, right, well, uh….try and be all nervous and rubbish and a bit shaky." The Doctor told him, nudging him back to the girl.

"Why?" Kazran asked in confusion.

"Because you're going to be like that anyway. Might as well make it part of the plan, then it'll feel on purpose." The Doctor answered and pushed him back toward Abigail. "Off you go, then."

"What, now? I kiss her now?" Kazran asked nervously as he came back again.

"Kazran, trust me. It's this or go to your room and design a new kind of screwdriver and have to wait hundreds of years for the right girl to fall into your lap instead of finding her yourself." The Doctor looked over to Stella who was singing softly causing some of the smaller fish to come over to her, flitting around her making her smile which in turn made the Doctor smile wider. "Don't make my mistakes. Now, go."

Kazran returned to Abigail, shuffling hesitantly not knowing how to initiate the kiss, but Abigail took charge and pulled him into a passionate kiss. In the future, Sardick looked at pictures of them both in front of the Statue of Liberty, Uluru - or Eyres Rock if you prefer - Sydney Opera House, Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower. One said California 1952 on the back, the four were smiling in front of the Hollywood sign.

-0-

There was a party going on out of sight at a swanky high end house in Hollywood. Kazran came out dressed in a tux to find his love, standing alone in a beautiful evening gown by the swimming pool.

"Abigail, are you coming back? Stella is going to do a duet with Frank." Kazran said happily as he went up to her then took note of her distressed face. "Abigail? What's wrong?"

"I have something to tell you." Abigail said.

"A bad thing?" Kazran asked slowly.

"A very bad thing." Abigail nodded with a small sob.

"What is it?" Kazran asked becoming very worried.

"The truth." Abigail answered, tears flowing from her eyes.

The Doctor and Stella appeared in a rush through some hedges as Abigail and Kazran were kissing. The Doctor was in a white tux his black bow tie undone while Stella wore a deep red form fitting of the shoulder dress with a loose floral lace fabric hanging over it. Her hair was in a meesy upstyle and her lips were painted red to match her dress. Unfortunately the lipstick on the Doctor's cheek was pink.

"Guys, we've really got to go quite quickly." The Doctor ran up to them, but was ignored as the couple kept kissing. "I just accidentally got engaged to Marilyn Monroe and Stella is threatening to..." The Doctor took note of their lack of focus. "How do you keep going like that? Do you breathe out your ears? Hello? Sorry. Hello?" The Doctor circled them trying to get their attention with no luck. "Guys, she's phoned a chapel. There's a car outside. This is happening now."

"Yoo-hoo! Doctor!" Marilyn called out flirtatiously.

"That's it! You asked for it blondie!" Stella stalked forward only for the Doctor to sweep her up into his arms. "Put me down!"

"Right. We'll meet you back at the Tardis." The Doctor rushed off with Stella who was still calling out insults to Marilyn over the Doctor's shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" Kazran asked when they finally broke the kiss.

"There is nothing to be done." Abigail said despairingly.

-0-

The Doctor stood with his half of a sonic, a small fish nibbling as it pulsed. Stella hummed causing the fish to fly around her, both of them giving Abigail and Kazran time to say their goodbyes.

"Good night, Abigail." Kazran said sadly.

"Good night, Kazran." Abigail said before Kazran sealed Abigail in her cryochamber.

"There we go. Another day, another Christmas Eve. We'll see you in a minute, eh?" The Doctor smiled brightly as he and Stella started for the Tardis, the Doctor clapping Kazran on the back as they went by.

"He means, a year." Stella corrected the Doctor.

"Doctor? Stella?" Kazran called out causing them to stop. "Listen, why don't we leave it?"

"Sorry, leave what?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, you know, this. Every Christmas Eve. It's getting a bit old." Kazran replied.

"Old?" Stella echoed with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Christmas is for kids, isn't it? I've got some work with my dad now. I'm going to focus on that. Get that cloud belt under control." Kazran said stiffly as he took off his bow tie.

"Sorry, we didn't realize we were boring you." The Doctor said, a little offended.

"Not your fault. Times change." Kazran said before turning and walking away.

"Not as much as I'd hoped." The Doctor said softly then took out his half of a sonic. "Kazran." The Doctor stopped him and walked up holding out the sonic. "I'll be needing a new one, anyway. What the hell." The Doctor gives Kazran his half a screwdriver. "Merry Christmas."

"And if you ever need us, just activate it. We'll hear you." Stella smiled reaching out to him only for him to flinch back.

"I won't need you." Kazran said sharply as Stella slowly lowered her hand back to her side, her hurt showing on her face.

"What's happened? What are you not telling us?" The Doctor asked, eyeing the boy as he took hold of Stella's hand, but Kazran made no move to answer before turning his back on them and walking away again.

"What about Abigail?" Stella asked softly.

"I know where to find her." Kazran said bitterly holding out his arms before leaving, sealing the door behind him.

"Yeah." The Doctor said as Kazran walked out. The counter on the cryochamber was down to 000 001 and in the future the portrait of Abigail is once again Sardick's father.

-0-

"Another Christmas Eve, Kazran. But a very special one. It's complete." Sardick's father Elliot told Kazran as the stood before the finished Wurlitzer, each holding a champagne flute. "Look at it. Sound waves. As simple as that. We can control the clouds, the fog, the fish."

"Why do we want to control the fish?" Kazran asked.

"People are cattle. If you want to control cattle, you need to control their predators." Elliot sneered, his sons face falling. "What's the face for? Look what I'm giving you. The sky, and everything beneath it. Only you and I can control this. This planet is ours."

"Excuse me, Father." Kazran bowed out, returning to his room and taking the screwdriver from his desk drawer.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees them, the Doctor and Stella standing outside the window, the Doctor smiling as Stella waved to him. Kazran walked up to them, his face stone, but his eyes angry, and drew the curtains on them then shoved the screwdriver back into his desk slamming it closed. Time passes and old Sardick came into the now dusty and disused room slowly taking it out again. Shortly after, the telephone rang and Sardick returned down stairs to answer it.

"Yes, what?" Sardick snapped into the phone, then became annoyed as he paced in front of the fire place. "Oh, Mister President, we've been through this. It's not going to crash on my house, so what's it got to do with me? Yes, I know, four thousand and three. As a very old friend of mine once took a very long time to explain, life isn't fair."

Sardick slammed the receiver back onto the phone and looked down at his feet to where the photos were still strewn about the floor. An image of Abigail looked up at him smiling softly causing a smile to appear on his own face as he tapped his cheek with the bit of sonic he still had in hand.

"Hello." A hologram of Amy appeared startling Sardick.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Sardick demanded.

"You didn't think this was over, did you? I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present." Amy answered.

"A ghost? Dressed like that?" Sardick looked over her skimpy police suit.

"Eyes off the skirt." Rory ordered as he replaced Amy as the hologram, but she quickly shoved him out of the way.

"You turned into a Roman." Sardick said.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do that." Amy quickly covered. " I also do this."

"Do what? What are you talking about?" Sardick questioned when Amy disappeared and voices filled his home. He followed them down the stairs to the cryovault and saw them, people dressed in their finery singing together. He typed in the code pulling the door open and stepping inside, looking at them all.

' _Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild. Christ the Saviour is born. Christ the Saviour is born.'_

"They're holograms. Projections, like me." Amy told him as she appeared behind him.

"Who are they?" Sardick eyed them before looking back to Amy.

"The people on the ship up there. The ones that you're going to let die tonight." Amy replied.

"Why are they singing?" Sardick asked.

"For their lives. Which one's Abigail?" Amy asked looking over the cryochambers, getting a sharp look from Sardick. "The Doctor told me."

"Did he now?" Sardick almost hissed.

"AH, he doesn't hold back. You know the Doctor." Amy replied. "And Stella's not much better when she's riled up."

"How do I? I never met them before tonight. Now I seem to have known them all my life. How? Why?" Sardick demanded.

"You're the only person who can let that ship land. They were trying to turn you into a nicer person. And they were trying to do it nicely." Amy told him, a bit of warning in her words.

"They changed my past, my whole life." Sardick said.

"Time can be rewritten." Amy said.

"You tell the Doctor and Stella. Tell them from me, people can't." Sardick snapped and walked through the holograms, which vanished, stopping in front of a particular cryochamber.

"That's Abigail?" Amy asked appearing near him.

"I would never have known her if the Doctor and Stella hadn't changed the course of my whole life to suit themselves." Sardick said lowly.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Amy asked.

"No." Sardick answered.

"Why is she still in there? You could let her out any time." Amy said in confusion.

"Oh, yes. Any time at all. Any time I choose." Sardick said brokenly as he reached up to the window, starring longingly at Abigail.

"Then why don't you?" Amy asked.

"This is what the Doctor and Stella did to me. Abigail was ill when she went into the ice. On the point of death. I suppose the rest in the ice helped her. But she's used up her time. All those Christmas Eves with me. I could release her any time I want, and she would live a single day." Sardick said in emotional pain before turning on Amy, his anger returned. "So tell me, Ghost of Christmas Present, how do I choose which day?"

"I'm sorry. I really am. I'm very, very sorry." Amy said gently. "But you know what? She's got more time left than I have. More than anyone on this ship."

"Good." Sardick replied bluntly.

"Rory, widen the beam." Amy said and suddenly Sardick was on the ship with Amy.

"Status update on engine one." The Captain called out over the turbulence and minor console explosions.

"How did I get here?" Sardick demanded.

"You didn't. It's your turn to be the hologram. Since you're going to let a lot of people die, I thought you might like to see where it's all going to happen." Amy replied.

"The singing. What is it? I don't understand." Sardick said as the singing could still be heard. On the monitor feed of the passengers singing was brought up, all of them fearful, but hopeful that their voices would save them that night.

"It's the Stella's idea. The harmonies resonate in the ice crystals, that's why the fish like it." Rory explained as he worked some controls against the wall. "She thought maybe it would stabilize the ship. But it isn't working. It's not powerful enough."

"Why are they still singing, then?" Sardick asked.

"Because we haven't told them." The Captain answered as she turned to them, stumbling slightly as the ship shook again. "Sir, I understand you have a machine that controls this cloud layer. If you can release us from it, we still have time to make a landing. Nobody has to die."

"Everybody has to die." Sardick said bluntly.

"Not tonight." Amy tried.

"Tonight's as good as any other. How do you choose?" Sardick asked as he looked to her.

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy said into her strange phone device.

"Yeah?" The Doctor said.

"Are you hearing this?" Amy asked.

"We can hear." Stella said.

"They're here? Where are they? Doctor? Stella?" Sardick looked around as he was returned to the cryovault, the Tardis behind him and the Doctor and Stella in front of him. "Doctor! Stella!"

"We're sorry." The Doctor said. "We didn't realize."

"All my life, I've been called heartless. My other life, my real life, the one you rewrote." Sardick said angrily as he looked from Abigail to them. "Now look at me."

"Better a broken heart than no heart at all." The Doctor told him.

"Oh, try it. You try it." Sardick said bitterly.

"We have." Stella said darkly as she walked up to Sardick. "Sardick we are old, so very old, you don't think we've lost people that we've loved before? People that we've held dear to our hearts? We are asking nothing from you that we wouldn't expect from ourselves despite the pain we've endured. The only difference between us is that you let your hurt turn you bitter and cold."

"Why are you here?" Sardick asked in a hoarse voice.

"Because we're not finished with you yet. You've seen the past, the present, and now you need to see the future, which is where I come in as the Ghost of Christmas yet to come." Stella said crossing her arms, her eyes narrowed.

"Fine. Do it. Show me. I'll die cold, alone and afraid. Of course I will. We all do. What difference does showing me make? Do you know why I'm going to let those people die? It's not a plan. I don't get anything from it. It's just that I don't care. I'm not like you. I don't even want to be like you. I don't and never, ever will care." Sardick bellowed as he toward over Stella, all of his emotions let loose.

"And we don't believe that." Stella snapped back.

"Then show me the future. Prove me wrong." Sardick challenged her.

"We are showing it to you. We're showing it to you right now." The Doctor said coming up behind Stella.

"So what do you think? Is this who you want to become, Kazran?" Stella asked looking past Sardick who turned following her gaze to where Kazran was standing there in his dressing gown.

"Dad?" Kazran asked fearfully. Sardick stalked up to his younger self throwing his cane aside, his hand raised to strike him when he remembered.

He remembered be struck by his own father, the pain and the fear.

' _This planet is ours.' Elliot told him._

He recalled the time he nearly hit Benjamin's son, and kissed Abigail and put her back to live forever. He began to cry as did Kazran as they hugged each other. He struggled his teeth grit against the onslaught of pain before he broke down crying, his hand passing over his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. It's okay, don't be frightened. I'm, I'm so, so, so…" Sardick held his younger self close who was also crying.

"Kazran." The Doctor said. "We don't have much time.

"Please." Stella said softly.

-0-

"Structural integrity at thirty percent." The Co-Pilot called out.

"We have five minutes max. We need to land." The Captain said as the rocking of the ship and the explosions got worse.

"Hello? Hello? Ah, hello, everyone. Prepare to lock on to my signal." The doctor said appearing on the view screen.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Amy asked.

"Stella and I just saved Christmas. Don't go away." The Doctor replied before cutting off the transmission.

"Doctor? Stella!" Amy called out to them.

-0-

Sardick was at the controls of his father's mighty Wurlitzer working the controls, becoming distressed as he did so. They responded with negative sounds, none of them doing as he wanted them to..

"We good to go, then?" The Doctor asked as he ran over to them.

"Not so much." Stella said biting her lip.

"The controls, they won't respond." Sardick told them.

"Of course they will. They're isomorphic." The Doctor replied trying the controls himself with the same outcome. "They're tuned to your brainwaves. They'll only respond to you."

"They won't respond." Sardick repeated.

"That doesn't make sense. That's ridiculous. Why wouldn't…?" The Doctor trailed off in realization. "Oh. Oh, of course. Stupid, stupid Doctor."

"Oh the brain waves!" Stella said in annoyance.

"What's wrong? Tell me, what is it?" Sardick asked.

"It's you. It's you. We've changed you too much. The machine doesn't recognize you." The Doctor told him.

"But my father programmed it." Sardick argued.

"No, your father would never have programmed it for the man you are now." The Doctor shook his head stepping away from the machine.

"Then what do we do?" Sardick asked.

"Er, er, I don't know. I don't know." The Doctor paced running his hand through his hair.

"There must be something." Kazran tried.

"This. You can use this." Sardick said taking half the sonic from his pocket. "I kept it, see?"

"What, half a screwdriver?" The Doctor scoffed as Stella's eyes lit up.

"With the other half up in the sky in a big old shark, right in the heart of the cloud layer." Stella said taking the sonic from Sardick before tossing it to the Doctor who slipped it in his hand catching on to Stella' train of thought.

"If we use your aerial to boost the signal, set up a resonation pattern between the two halves." The Doctor ran up to Stella kissing her forehead.

"Ooo, come on, that would work." Stella bounced in place.

"My screwdriver, coolest bit of kit on this planet. Coolest two bits. It could do it." The Doctor grinned as he leaned against the machine.

"Do what?" Sardick asked as the Doctor eyed the machine.

"Well, my screwdriver is still trying to repair. It's signaling itself. We use the signal, but we send something else." The Doctor said as his and Stella's faces fell in realization.

"Send what?" Kazran asked them.

"Well, what? What?" Sardick pressed when the couple hesitated.

"We're sorry, Kazran. We truly are." Stella said softly as she placed her hand on his arm.

"I don't understand." Sardick looked down at her in confusion.

"We need to transmit something into the cloud belt. Something we know works." Stella said as gently as she could. "We need her to sing."

-0-

"Her voice resonates perfectly with the ice crystals." The Doctor said as they stood in the cryovault in front of Abigail's pod which was waking her up, the glow inside pulsing. "It calmed the shark. It will calm the sky, too."

"Why can't Stella do it?" Sardick asked tearfully. "She can sing? Why not let her do it?"

"Because it's the melody, her specific voice pattern, that calmed them, I was only harmonizing." Stella gripped the Doctor's hand. "Her voice is the only one that can calm the skies, not mine."

"Could you do it? Could you do this? Think about it, Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?" Sardick asked softly, tears escaping eyes before the pod opened and Abigail stepped out.

"Christmas. Christmas Day." Abigail said, as if answering his question. "Look at you." Abigail took in the aged appearance of Sardick, cupping his face. "You're so old now. I think you waited a bit too long, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry." Sardick cried.

"Hoarding my days, like an old miser." Abigail wiped his tears away with her thumd.

"But if you leave the ice now…Sardick said fearfully.

"We've had so many Christmas Eves, Kazran." Abigail said with a watery smile. "I think it's time for Christmas Day."

"Yes." Sardick reluctantly agreed.

-0-

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy called out over the comm as the ship hurtled toward the planet.

"We can't hold this. Time's up. We're going down." The Captain said in resolve as they were shaken to and fro more violently then before, sparks and explosions happening more rapidly.

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy tried again.

"Captain, I've got….I don't know what I've got." The Co-Pilot said as singing comes in over the speakers.

"What is that? What are you listening to?" The Captain asked as they worked the controls.

"This is coming from outside. This is coming from the actual clouds." The Co-pilot answered and the turbulence stopped as the song built, the ships flight smoothing out.

-0-

The Doctor had hooked up the screwdriver to the beam transmitter in the dome, and Abigail was using it as a microphone.

' _When you're alone, silence is all you know.'_

"Well? Well?" Sardick asked.

"Well, the singing resonates in the crystals. It's feeding back and forth between the two halves of the screwdriver." The Doctor told him as he fiddled with the wiring.

"Now, one song, filling the sky. The crystals will align and I'll feed in a controlled phase loop, and the clouds will unlock." Stella added as she began a flowing ballet routine to Abigail's song, unable to stand still.

"What does that mean, unlock? What happens when a cloud unlocks?" Karan asked watching Stella dance on pointe.

"Something that hasn't happened in this town for a very long time now." The Doctor said watching Stella spin as the snow began to fall all around them.

 **(AN: Look up this video on youtube, it's how I imagined Stella's dance to go. ORIGINAL - Polina Semionova (HD - Ballet - H. Grönemeyer – instrumental.) If you play it on mute along with Abigails Song it kind of matches up.)**

' _When you're alone, silence is all you see. When you're alone, silence is all you'll be. Give me your hand and come to me.'_

"We're flying normally." The Co-Pilot said in amazement.

"Can you land?" The Captain asked.

"I can even land well." The pilot replied moving to do so.

"Oh, they did it. The Doctor and Stella did it." Amy cheered as she and Rory hugged each other close.

"Yeah, they get all the credit." Rory rolled his eyes then realized. "Which is actually fair enough, if you think about it."

Amy and Rory smiled softly as each other before meeting in a tendet kiss happy to be alive and even more happy to be with each other.

' _When you are here, music is all around. When you are near, music is all around.'_ Sardick walked up to Abigail covering her hand that was holding the mike with his, both of them looking lovingly into each other's eyes as Abigail cupped his face with her free hand. ' _Open your eyes, don't make a sound.'_

"Hello, my old friend." Sardick said as the shark glided over them.

The Doctor held out his hand to Stella who smiled as took it allowing him to spin her to his side. With soft smiled they walked back to the Tardis, Kazran with them, all of them pausing to watch the shark fly overhead.

' _Let in the shadow.'_

"Let's go." The Doctor said ruffling Kazran's hair before herding him into the Tardis, he and Stella pausing to look back at Sardick and Abigail.

' _Let in the shadow, let in the light of your bright shadow. Let in the shadow, let in the shadow.'_

The Doctor and Stella smiled at the couple before going into the Tardis and dematerializing. Abigail and Sardick watched it go, waving goodbye to their friends as the Tardis vanished leaving a clear square in inch and revealing a familiar buggy and harness. Sardick and Abigail smiled as the sight looking to each other in excitement.

' _Let in the light of your bright shadow.'_

-0-

Stella laughed as the Doctor is rubbed noses with a snowman they had just made.

"You know, that could almost be mistaken for a real person. The snowman isn't bad, either." Amy joked as she and Rory came up to them.

"Ah, yes, you two. About time." The Doctor said as he and Stella looked to them, both of their eyes widening. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Er, kind of lost our luggage. Kind of crash landed?" Rory said bashfully.

"Yeah, but why are you dressed like that at all?" The Doctor asked making the couple shift uncomfortably.

"I'll tell you later love." Stella looped her arm through his. "How about these snowmen, eh?"

"Yeah, they really love their snowmen around here, don't they? I've counted about twenty." Amy commented, sending a thankful look to Stella for the change in subject.

"Yeah, we've been busy." The Doctor nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, you have. Thank you." Amy said hugging them and Rory playfully puching the Doctor in the shoulder.

"Pleasure. Right, come on then, let's go." The Doctor said leading them on.

"Got any more honeymoon ideas?" Rory asked.

"Well, there's a moon that's made of actual honey. Well, not actual honey, and it's not actually a moon, and technically it's alive, and a bit carnivorous, but there are some lovely views." The Doctor offered as he unlocked the Tardis and opened the door.

"Yeah. Great. Thanks." Rory said sarcastically before he went inside the Tardis, the door closing behind him.

"Are you, are you two okay?" Amy asked them.

"Of course we're okay. You?" Stella asked.

"Of course. It'll be their last day together, won't it?" Amy asked.

"Everything has got to end sometime, otherwise nothing would ever get started." The Doctor pointed out as Rory stuck his head out of the Tardis.

"Your phone was ringing. Someone called Marilyn. Actually sounds like the Marilyn." Rory said uncertainly.

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy looked to the Doctor whose face went pale while Stella's was red.

"I'll take it Rory." Stella marched into the Tardis and there was a brief conversation to which the others were listening to their eyes wide before the phone was slammed down and Stella came back out all smiles. "Wrong number. So where were we? Karan and Abigail right?"

"Where are they? Kazran and Abigail." Amy asked, not even going to ask what that was all about.

"Off on a little trip, I should think." The Doctor replied wrapping his arm around Stella pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

"Where?" Amy asked.

"Christmas." Stella replied wrapping the Doctor's arms around her so her back was pressed into his chest.

"Christmas?" Amy echoed.

"Yeah, Christmas." The Doctor confirmed before Amy stepped into the Tardis. The Doctor and Stella looked up to see a shark drawn carriage silhouetted against the moon. "Halfway out of the dark."


	2. Chapter 2

"Ok I'm getting something, I think I got it, yes there, you're connected now." Stella said as she fiddled with the tower like device that she and the Doctor had put together with spare parts they had found around them on the barren red planet.

"Perfect." The Doctor said with a grin then concentrated. "Of course I'm still alive, Jo. I thought that was obvious. Catch up."

"Doctor, be nice." Stella said sternly as she connected the wires on the device. The Doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance, bouncing on his heels as he explained the situation.

"Course it's not. It's me and yes Stella is with me as well, no need to worry. I'm using Clyde as a receiver. We've keyed into his residual artron energy so I can organize a very complicated biological swap across ten thousand light years. Hold on." The Doctor said as Stella stood up. "Ready?"

"Yeah, be careful love." Stella said wrapping her arms around him,

"Of course." The Doctor replied giving her a quick kiss and a playful wink. He took a couple of steps back as Stella activated the machine sending Clyde a dose of artron energy. "Is it working?"

"Almost there." Stella said sending more energy, until the Doctor was replaced with Clyde.

"Doctor? Doctor!" Clyde called out as he turned on the spot.

"Hello Clyde, long time no see." Stella said with a smile as Clyde looked to her.

"Stella?" Clyde said as he looked to her. "Where are we? What happened?"

"We are in the Wasteland of the Crimson Heart and you just switched spots with the Doctor, it was all the artron energy you got from the Tardis when you touched it last time." Stella said offhandedly.

"Ok, then why are we getting attacked and by who?" Clyde asked as he processed and looked around the wasteland.

"The Claw Shansheeth of the 15th Funeral Fleet for some reason have been spreading the rumor that the Doctor is dead, don't really know why." Stella replied then the machine started to beep. "Oh it's beeping."

"Sounds like a countdown." Clyde said.

"That's cause it is, you're about to go back." Stella said then gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"Wait…!" Clyde vanished before he could respond and the Doctor reappeared looking frustrated.

"What happened?" The Doctor asked as Stella picked up the device shaking it.

"I don't know, I'm working with spare parts give me a second. I'm not McGyver you know." Stella said as she shook the machine harder. "Come on, come on." Stella grumbled as she started to re-wire it once again, using gum, a paperclip, some string, and a button to fix the inner workings of the machine. "Did you find them?"

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"Any ideas as to why you're dead?" Stella asked.

"Nope, still don't know why yet." The Doctor replied looking over the device as well, taking it from Stella. "Oh I see."

The Doctor disappeared suddenly letting the machine fall, Stella barely catching the device before it hit the ground just as Clyde reappeared before her.

"Welcome back." Stella smiled at him then looked down at the device. "Oh it's slowing down."

"No, no, no! Don't slow down." Clyde chanted looking over the device, but not understanding a bit of it. "Take me back."

"Oh calm down, give me a second." Stella said poking around the device with her sonic finger tips, humming along with the hum they were producing. Then Clyde disappeared again only to be replaced by the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Jo. "Hello all, welcome to the Crimson Heart." Stella said cheerfully to the women who were looked around in shock. "Doctor, I'm having a bit of trouble here." It made a strange warped noise. "Well that can't be good."

"No, no, no, no." The Doctor muttered as he came over. "Let's get you working properly."

The Doctor took the device from Stella pecking her on the cheek and got to work, allowing her to go and properly greet the two women.

"Sarah Jane, it's good to see you again." Stella said with a bright smile as she jogged over to the famed journalist bringing her into a tight hug.

"Stella, it's good to see you to." Sarah Jane said hugging her back with a laugh.

"Jo Grant, right?" Stella said looking to Jo when she and Sarah Jane had released each other

"Jo Jones now, do I know you?" Jo asked in confusion as Stella hugged her much to her surprise, but she returned the hug anyway.

"Of course not, we've never met, but the Doctor told me all about you." Stella replied with a smile. "He does get nostalgic at times despite what he says."

"Oh, well, then it's nice to meet you." Jo smiled brightly at the young lady.

"Where are we? The Crimson what…?" Sarah Jane asked.

"The Wasteland of the Crimson Heart. Planet Earth's that way." The Doctor pointed in a general direction. Stella rolled her eyes pushing his arm still pointing to the right a bit. "Bit of a long walk. Sonic, please."

"It's so many years since I was on another planet." Jo said as she looked around.

Sarah Jane handed the Doctor her sonic lip stick, Stella rolling her eyes at him. He really hated to be without his sonic screwdriver, despite Stella's sonic abilities.

"Me too." Sarah Jane said as Stella walked back over to the Doctor kneeling down in front of the device using her own sonic abilities as the Doctor used the sonic lipstick.

"So this goes here and then this goes…" Stella stopped short when it buzzed angrily. "This does not go there, it goes over here?"

"There, and there." The Doctor supplied as Stella adjusted her rose colored glasses so she could get a better look.

"It's kind of like Operation." Stella commented as the machine buzzed again. "I am lousy at that game."

"Did it hurt? I mean, the regeneration." Sarah Jane said with a small frown. "That last body of yours, was he okay in the end?"

"It always hurts." The Doctor replied sadly, only smiling again when Stella covered his hand with hers. He raised it to his lips kissing the back of it before they got back to work. "And that goes there."

"So how did you two end up in this place?" Sarah Jane asked smiling at the touching seen.

"The Shansheeth lured us." Stella replied.

"A mighty old battlefield, just begging to be explored." The Doctor said. "Because we're travelling with Amy now."

"And Rory." Stella added. "They got married."

"We dropped them off at a honeymoon planet, which isn't what you'd think. It's not a planet for a honeymoon, it's a planet on a honeymoon." The Doctor said.

"It married an asteroid." Stella said wistfully. "It was a beautiful ceremony."

"Then they nicked the Tardis." The Doctor said in a miffed voice.

"The Shansheeth, not Amy and er…that doesn't seem right." Stella said getting distracted by the device before she could finish her sentence.

"Fortunately, we had all this wreckage to build a space swapping doo-dah thingummy wotsit." The Doctor said cheerfully.

"Patent pending." Stella smarted off.

"So, you've a married couple in the Tardis." Jo commented.

"Mister and Mrs. Pond." The Doctor answered.

"And it looks like the two of you will be enjoying matrimony soon as well." Jo said looking to Stella's engagement ring.

"Yeah, he wore me down." Stella joked nudging the Doctor who nudged her back with a grin.

"Please, you practically forced me." He joked back kissing the corner of her mouth.

"I only left you because I got married." Jo said looking a little sad as she sat down on a pile of rocks and junk. "Did you think I was stupid?"

"Why do you say that?" The Doctor asked as he joined her leaving Stella and Sarah Jane to work on the machine

"I was a bit dumb." Jo said despondently. "Still am, I suppose."

"Now what in the world would make you think that, ever, ever, ever?" The Doctor asked in concern.

"We'd been travelling down the Amazon for months, and we reached a village in Cristalino, and it was the only place in thousands of miles that had a telephone, so I called you. I just wanted to say hello. And they told me that you'd left, left UNIT, never came back." Jo explained. "So I waited and waited, because you said you'd see me again. You did, I asked you and you said yes. You promised. So I thought, one day, I'd hear that sound, Deep in the jungle, I'd hear that funny wheezing noise, and a big blue box right in the middle of the rainforest. You see, he wouldn't just leave. Not forever. Not me. I've waited my whole silly life."

"But you're an idiot." The Doctor said.

"Well, there we have it." Jo said shaking her head.

"No, but don't you see? How could I ever find you? You've spent the past forty years living in huts, climbing up trees, tearing down barricades. You've done everything from flying kites on Kilimanjaro to sailing down the Yangtze in a tea chest. Not even the Tardis could pin you down." The Doctor explained.

"Hold on. I did sail down the Yangtze in a tea chest. How did you know?" Jo asked as she looked to him.

"And that family. All seven kids, twelve grandchildren, thirteenth on his way." The Doctor went on. "He's dyslexic but that'll be fine. Great swimmer."

"So you've been watching me all this time?" Jo asked in wonder.

"Stella said it, from time to time I do get nostalgic and look back." The Doctor said shaking his head, his eyes sad. "I never could before, it hurt too much, but then Stella…she helped me and I looked back on all of you." The Doctor smiled wistfully. "Every single one. And I was so proud."

"It really is you, isn't it?" Jo asked with a watery smile.

"Hello." The Doctor said and then they hugged.

"Sorry, but we've got that lot back at home with the Shansheeth." Sarah called out.

"And these wires are not doing what I want them to, they are deliberately being difficult." Stella said with a pout.

"Yes, yes." The Doctor called out. "And I still need you, Jo. Now, that bag of yours, I can smell blackcurrant." The Doctor sniffed at her bag. "Is it buchu oil?"

"Hand-picked in Mozambique." Jo said digging it out and handing it to him.

"Oh, perfect." Stella said as they came back over to them.

"These circuits need connectivity. Wonderful." The Doctor said as he used the oil. "Little tiddly drop. That's it. What a team."

"There. That should work" Stella said with a cheer.

"Intergalactic molecular streaming, with just a hint of blackcurrant." The Doctor said.

"But what'll happen to Clyde?" Sarah Jane asked.

"No, no, no, we've fixed it." Stella said.

"All we needed was you two." The Doctor said.

"Oil and sonic." Stella added.

"Now we can go back and Clyde can stay where he is." The Doctor said as they all stepped back and held onto one another. "Hold tight."

They disappeared leaving behind the device and reappeared in the corridor of a large building.

"Get us out of here. Doctor! Stella!" Clyde called out.

"Then again, maybe leaving Clyde in the same place wasn't such a good idea." The Doctor said as they ran over to a grill in the wall where Clyde was calling out from.

"Look out, stand back." Sarah Jane sonicks off the grill.

"Ah! Ventilation shafts. That takes me back." The Doctor grinned.

"Or even forwards." Stella said with a grin of her own as they climbed into the shaft.

-0-

"Hurry up. We're getting boiled alive." Clyde called out.

"Hold on. We're coming." The Doctor called out as Stella followed him down the shaft.

"Don't worry, Santiago, I'm here. You go first. You've got the sonic lipstick." Jo turns to see Sarah Jane is being held by a Shansheeth then a second one grabs her.

"Doctor!" Sarah Jane called out.

"Stella!" Jo called out as well.

"Jo? Sarah?" The Doctor called back.

"What's going on?!" Stella asked.

"They're roasting us." Clyde yelled.

"Let us out!" Rani yelled as well.

"Sarah." The Doctor called again.

"We have to get the kids." Stella said. "They'll be roasted alive if we waste any more time."

"Argh!" The Doctor said in frustration of being caught in the trap. They finally made it to the where the children were and worked on the panel. "And release."

"Blimey. You really have changed faces, haven't you? I couldn't see you before, I was too busy swapping." Clyde said when he came face to face with the Doctor.

"Oi, we're still cooking back here." Rani said.

"Where's my gran?" Santiago asked.

"Right, yes, sorry, she's in danger, so, we'd better er…" The Doctor shifted around.

"Can't turn round?" Stella commented.

"No." The Doctor replied.

"You'll have to shuffle backwards." Clyde said.

"Oh, yes, okay. Thank you, Clyde." The Doctor said in frustration.

"I'm not complaining." Stella said with a smirk and she could practically feel the heat radiating from the Doctor's ears.

"Next time you go into the vent first." The Doctor muttered as they started to shuffle backwards.

"Whatever you say love." Stella purred making the Doctor's face erupt even more.

"Even your eyes are different. It's weird, cos I thought the eyes would stay the same. Can you change color or are you always white?" Clyde asked as they went along.

"I could be anything." The Doctor replied.

"And is there a limit? How many times can you change?" Clyde asked.

"Five hundred and seven." The Doctor replied as the hum of the Memory Weave started up.

"They've started." Stella said as they climbed out of the shaft and ran to the chapel, but they couldn't get in.

"They've sealed it off." Stella said.

"Jo, Sarah, can you hear me?" The Doctor banged against the door.

"They want the key. They've got the Tardis, and a Memory Weave." Sarah Jane called out.

"Too late." Karim replied with a smirk. "Full activation.

"Concentrate. Think of the key." Shansheeth ordered.

"Try to find a way in." The Doctor ordered and everyone scrambled to do so. Stella pounded against the doors then tried kicking them.

"They reinforced the doors." Stella snapped as she tried to force the doors open with no luck.

"There's nothing." Santiago replied. "We need a bulldozer."

"I've got the original here." The Doctor called out through the door. "You can have it if you let them go."

"You let the Doctor inside this room and he will destroy us. Keep going!" Karim ordered.

"Think of the Tardis." Shansheeth ordered. "The key. Remember the key."

"Fight it, Sarah Jane. Try to think of something else." Jo yelled.

"I can't." Sarah Jane yelled.

"Neither can I." Jo said as Clyde tries hitting the steel doors with a fire extinguisher.

"It's not shifting." Clyde yelled.

"The memories coalesce. The key, it takes shape." Shansheeth said.

"Don't! Don't!" Jo screamed.

"I can't stop." Sarah Jane screamed as well.

"What do we do, Doctor? What do we do?" Clyde called out.

"Stella, what do we do?" Rani said as she clung to Stella's arm.

"It's ok, we'll figure this out." Stella assured the girl. "Let's see what we know. The Shansheeth want the key to get the TARDIS and are using the memory weave to get it…"

"Because the Shansheeth are making them remember." The Doctor said looking to Stella.

"Oh, that's right." Stella said snapping her fingers.

"I know." Clyde said rolling his eyes.

"Then don't you see?" The Doctor said looking to them.

"I don't see anything." Clyde said shaking his head.

"We do the same." Stella said and got to work on the communication system. "Opening comms."

"Sarah, Jo, can you hear me?" The Doctor called into the comm.

"The key, it's almost ready." Sarah Jane yelled.

"Listen to me, both of you. I want you to remember." The Doctor ordered.

"We are doing. That's the trouble." Jo replied.

"No, no, no, no. I want you to remember everything. Every single day with me. Every single second." The Doctor called out.

"What's he doing?" Karim asked.

"Because your memories are more powerful than anything else on this planet. Just think of it. Remember it. But properly. Properly. Give the Memory Weave everything. Every planet, every face, every madman, every loss, every sunset, every scent, every terror, every joy, every Doctor. Every me." The Doctor called out.

"I remember." Sarah Jane said and as the machine started to over load.

"No!" Karim snapped.

"Memory Weave overloading." The computer said.

"I remember." Jo said.

"We need that key. What is happening?" Karim said angrily. "What's happening?"

"Initial target lost." The Computer said.

"The device is overloading. Too many memories. Too many." Shansheeth said as the device smoked, sparked, and burned.

"Reverse it. Bring that key back." Karim ordered, struggling with the deivce.

"Come on, all of you. Tell them, tell them." Stella urged the kids. "Get them to remember everything!"

"Think of us, Sarah Jane. Remember Maria and her dad, and all the stuff we did, like the Gorgon." Clyde called though the door.

"And the clowns, and the zodiac." Rani said loudly. "And the Mona Lisa."

"All of it. All of it." Sarah Jane said as the memories filled her up.

"Just think, Gran. All the countries you've been to." Santiago called out.

"Every country in the world." Jo said proudly.

"Weave starting to self-destruct." The Computer said as the device defected and set Sarah Jane free.

"It's blown a circuit." Sarah Jane called out.

"I can't get out." Jo said struggling to get free.

"I've got you." Sarah Jane said rushing over to her freeing her from her straps.

"Now we're in trouble. The Weave's going to blow up and we can't get them out." The Doctor said starting to panic as the device got worse, the ground starting to shake with the impending explosion.

"What?" Rani breathed out.

"Can't escape." The Doctor repeated emphasizing with hand gestures.

"I need the key." Shansheeth said as he tried to get into the Tardis, hammering desperately on the door.

"Weave now entering detonation phase." The Computer said as things started to really go bang and fires grew everywhere filling the room with smoke.

"I can't unseal the doors. The power line is gone. Argh!" Karim was blasted back hard to the ground and moved no more as Sarah Jane tried to use her sonic lipstick on the door, but it was no use.

"We've drained it." Sarah Jane called out through the door, the roof raining down on them. "Doctor? Doctor, I can't get out."

"I can't open it." The Doctor said as he and Stella tried to force it.

"No sonic screwdriver." Sarah Jane said.

"It's inside the Tardis." The Doctor answered.

"Even if he had it the doors or deadlocked!" Stella pounded against the door.

"And we can't get in, because guess what? We stopped ourselves getting the key. Oh, that was clever." Sarah Jane snapped in frustration.

"I just want to say, I'm so glad I saw you again. I waited all this time, and it was worth it. Every second." Jo called out through the door. "Funny thing is though, your funeral turns out to be ours instead."

"My funeral?" The Doctor questioned as he looked down at Stella, both of them realizing the same thing.

"Doctor, all of you, you'll look after Luke for me, please." Sarah Jane called out.

"No, no, no, no, but listen." The Doctor said. "My funeral. Don't you see? My funeral."

"With a lead-lined coffin!" Sarah Jane and Jo said at the same time and ran over to the coffin prying open then climbing inside.

"How much time have they got?" The Doctor asked Groske.

"Big bang, ten seconds." Groske answered.

"Come on." Stella said herding the kids away from the doors as Groske counted down, following after them with no real alarm.

"Total destruction imminent." The computer said as the Shansheeth is hammering on the Tardis door.

"Hurry up, Gran." Santiago urged as Groske continued to count down as he made his way down the hall.

"Five, four, three, two…" KaBOOM! The fireball blows the doors off, rubble rained down all around, the ground rocked violently, and smoke bellowed out.

They all cautiously made their way back toward the room as everything started to settle down. Stella stopped short suddenly looking thoughtful and confused, with a tinge of worry as she looked to Rani.

"What do you mean, the Mona Lisa?" Stella asked suddenly.

"Long story." Rani said as they ran into the room.

"I'll need to hear about it, Leo would hunt me down and kill me if anything happened to one of his creations." Stella ran her hand through her hair.

"Smells like roast chicken." Gorske commented as they looked around the chapel, the Doctor and Stella running over to the coffin.

"Now then. Smith and Jones." The Doctor opens the coffin lid. "The coffin was the trap. The coffin was the solution. That's so neat, you could write a thesis."

"Or a detective story." Stella commented with a wide grin.

"Come on then, you two. Out you get." The Doctor said helping the two women out, all hugging in relief.

-0-

"Attention. Temporal flux escalating in this vicinity. The Tardis has landed." Mr. Smith said as the Tardis parked herself just under the skylight.

"Whoa. It's Bannerman Road. It's like everything moved. I'm never getting used to that." Clyde said as he stepped out followed by the others.

"Mister Smith, you're in big trouble. Those Shansheeth were bad." Rani said looking to the computer.

"It transpires that you encountered a rogue element, and the Wide Wing of the High Shansheeth Nest sends apologies." Mr. Smith replied.

"No way. On top of everything else, you've got a talking computer? That is it. I'm giving up." Santiago said in amazement.

"Still the same old Tardis. It doesn't matter what's changed, it still smells the same." Jo said as she looked around the Tardis with a bright smile. "No. I've got to say goodbye, or else I'd stay with you forever. Besides, I probably couldn't keep up any more. Get you into trouble with the Time Lords."

"Hmm." The Doctor hummed sadly as Stella once again took his hand, comforting him. "Yeah, we'd probably better go. You know me, stuff to do."

"It's daft, though, because we were both saying, we had this theory that if you ever died, we'd feel it, somehow we'd just know. But that's just silly, isn't it?" Sarah Jane asked the Doctor.

"I don't know. Maybe not. Because between you and me, if that day ever comes. I think the whole universe might just shiver." The Doctor said then he gives a start, making them all laugh.

"Your ego." Stella said shaking her head as she looked out of the Tardis to the kids. "This universe has more protectors than just you and me. We might be amazing, but those kids, they're something else."

"Oh, it was so good to see you again." Jo said as she and Sarah Jane laughed as they pulled them into tight hugs.

"You to." The Doctor replied.

"It was great to meet you." Stella said to Jo.

"You as well." Jo said then gained a curious appearance about her face, looking to Stella's tattoo like lines. "May I ask, what species you are?"

"I'm a Human, Cyborg, Time Lord hybrid." Stella answered rubbing the back of her head. Jo looked at her wide eyed, blinking a few times. Stella smiled and gave her the short version of her life. "So there you have it, but keep it under your hat yeah?"

"Of course." Jo smiled with a nod as she looked between the couple. "I'm glad you found someone Doctor."

"Me to." The Doctor said wrapping his arm around Stella as she leaned against his shoulder.

"Goodbye." Sarah Jane said as they stepped out of the Tardis and closed the door behind them and the amazing ship disappeared before their eyes with its familiar wheezing groaning sound.


	3. Chapter 3

Stella sat against the Tardis with her guitar in hand as she sang The Way you Love Me by Faith Hill. The Doctor was whistling along as he lay on a car creeper under the Tarids, reaching up to flip a switch on the console. Stella wore a pair of plum purple harem pants that were tight at her calves, a spaghetti strap rose pink crop top with strings that crossed over her stomach, and her feet were bare.

"Hey." Amy said as she came up to them.

"Hey." Stella nodded to her, still strumming on her guitar.

"Hey." The Doctor slid out from under the console then promptly pulled himself back under only for Amy to pull him out again.

"Listen. Can we talk?" Amy told them, her face serious.

"Rory!" The Doctor called out, eyes wide as he pulled himself back under the console.

"Stop. Shut up. I've just got a question, that's all." Amy assured him as she yanked him back out holding him by his lapels, Stella setting aside her guitar looking to Amy in concern.

"You okay up there?" Rory asked from beneath the glass floor of the console room wearing a pair of shaded goggles.

"Yeah, fine, no problem." Stella called down to him as the Doctor went back under the console.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked him.

"Helping the Doctor and Stella." Rory replied looking back to his work. "It's humming. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Stella told him.

"We're just entering conceptual space. Imagine a banana, or anything curved." The Doctor told Amy coming back from under the Tardis then shook his head. "Actually, don't. It's not curved or like a banana. Forget the banana!"

"I think you're just hungry." Stella commented patting his stomach before he went back under.

"You wouldn't happen to have one on you would you?" The Doctor asked coming back from under the Tardis and beamed when Stella pulled one out of her pocket.

"Er, is he helping you fly the Tardis?" Amy asked while the Doctor devoured the banana making contented noises.

"Kind of." Stella shrugged, laughing softly in amusement of the Doctor's enjoyment of his treat.

"Detach servo-couplings two, seven and eleven, like I showed you." The Doctor told Rory as he rocked to his feet placing the peel of the banana in one of the garbage receptacles of the Tardis before pulling Stella up with him.

"How come he gets to have a go? You never let me have a go." Amy complained with her hands on her hips watching the couple move around the console flipping switches here and there.

"Er, Doctor, Stella, don't. Seriously. I let her drive my car once." Rory cautioned them.

"Yeah, to the end of the road." Amy pouted.

"According to Amy, there was an unexpected house." Rory countered.

"That's not as un-common as you may think, those things can just pop out of nowhere I'll have you know. Just ask the Wicked Witch of the East, not that there was much complaint besides from her sister." Stella rubbed the back of her head with a wince. "I feel awful, really I do."

"You mean that really happened?" Rory asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah. You see I was working on a tele-tornado, you know, to travel by." Stella told him with a wistful smile.

"How is that a good idea?" Rory asked.

"It wasn't and I might have had a few loose wires when I thought of it." Stella tilted her head back so she was looking up at the ceiling. "Turned out alright in the end though. Frank got to be a wizard and got back home, so did the girl and her pooch, Tin-Bot got a heart, Scarecrow who was actually an animated scarecrow got a brain, and the Delta Leonis named Fang got some courage." Stella smiled to them all. "So all in all it was a good adventure…except for the west side witch who kept trying to kill me and ended up reducing herself to a living puddle and her sister who…well let's just say there was a new munchkin in munchkin land."

"So who were you in the story?" Amy asked her in shock.

"I was Locasta and Glinda basically, good witches of the North and South." Stella said proudly then noticed the looks she was getting from Amy and Rory. "Anyway, why's Rory so against you driving?"

"He's jealous because I passed my test first time." Amy said smugly.

"You cheated. You wore a skirt." Rory pointed out.

"I didn't wear a skirt." Amy argued.

"That would have worked too." Rory scoffed.

"No, no, I did wear a skirt. But it was any old skirt." Amy told them.

"Have either of you seen Amy drive?" Rory asked as he worked.

"No." The Doctor shook his head.

"Nope." Stella shook her head as well.

"Neither did her driving examiner." Rory said.

"Actually, it was this one. It was this skirt." Amy said looking down at her skirt.

"Well that explains it." Stella eyed the mini jean skirt that barely covered anything.

"What?" Amy looked to Stella before the Tardis tilted suddenly and went dark, all of them holding onto the console to stay standing. "What was that?"

"Rory? Did you drop a thermo-coupling?" The Doctor asked Rory.

"Sorry." Rory replied meekly.

"Argh. How did you do that? I told you, don't drop them. I specifically mentioned not dropping and I'm pretty sure Stella did as well." The Doctor complained as he paced around the console trying to get it started again.

"It was my fault." Amy said with a wince.

"Of course it wasn't your fault." The Doctor replied.

"It kind of was her fault." Rory added.

"And a little bit yours." Stella looked to the Doctor.

"How could it be her fault and a little bit mine?" The Doctor asked looking between the girls.

"Because it was my skirt and my husband and your glass floor." Amy told him. The Doctor looked down to where Rory was standing directly below Amy and made a face.

"Oh, Rory." The Doctor shook his head.

"Sorry." Rory replied.

"Eyes front." Stella said sharply when he started to stare up again.

"Sorry!" Rory said quickly averting his gaze.

"Better get up here Rory before you toss us into a black hole." Stella sighed running a hand through her hair.

"Right." Rory quickly ascended the stairs.

"Well, we've landed. Emergency materialization. Should be fine." The Doctor assured them flipping a switch and pressing some buttons.

"Should have dropped off in the safest spot available." Stella added as they brought the power back online with one final lever flip. "Oh dear."

They all walked forward in stunned silence toward the doors of the Tardis to the railing looking at another Tardis in the Tardis.

"Doctor, Stella, what's happened?" Amy asked as they looked to the smaller Tardis.

"Safest spot available." Stella mumbled crossing her arms.

"The Tardis has materialized inside itself." The Doctor told them going down the stairs toward the blue box, Stella right behind him while the Ponds watched.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Rory asked.

"Take a guess." The Doctor replied.

"No?" Rory answered cautiously as the Doctor pressed his hand against the smaller Tardis.

"Correct Mr. Pond." Stella said, Rory rolling his eyes at the surname, but saying nothing as it did no good.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked them.

"Absolutely no idea." The Doctor said as he went inside it and walked in through the main door.

"Okay, that is a bit weird." Amy said as the Doctor put his arm outside, and it waves at them from the new Tardis.

"Can you feel my hand?" Stella touched his hand coming out of the new Tardis.

"Yep." The Doctor said.

"Any time difference?" Stella asked.

"Less than seconds." The Doctor answered before going outside and stepped out of the new Tardis in front of Stella.

"That is actually pretty cool." Rory commented in interest.

"I'm glad you're entertained, Rory, now that we're stuck here for all eternity at least you won't be bored." The Doctor said sarcastically as he walked back up the stairs to them, Stella leaning against the new Tardis with her arms crossed.

"Wait, what, we're stuck?" Amy asked.

"The inside of the Tardis is now joined to the outside of the Tardis. Worse than a time loop, a space loop." The Doctor told them.

"Nothing can enter or leave this ship ever again." Stella added before another Amy walked in from the main Tardis doors causing Stella to jump with a small yelp.

"Okay, kids. This is where it gets complicated." Amy two said.

"Who the hell are you?" Amy asked.

"I'm you, from your future." Amy two told her.

"Tell me exactly what's happened." The Doctor ordered taking a few steps down the stairs toward her.

"Well, the exterior shell of the Tardis has drifted forwards in time. If you step into the box now, you step into the control floor a tiny bit in the past." Amy two explained, looking confused.

"I don't understand." Amy said, vocalizing her twins confusion.

"Neither do I." Amy two said in a sotto voice.

"But you just said it." Amy pointed out.

"No, I'm just repeating it. I'm just remembering what I heard myself saying when I was standing where you are now, and repeating it. I'm just repeating this too. And this, and this." Amy two started to repeat herself.

"Oh, I still don't understand." Amy cut her off.

"You still don't." Amy two assured her.

"Okay, when does Amy step inside the box. We need to maintain the time line." Stella broke in.

"Ah. As soon as she's slapped Rory." Amy two said.

"Okay." Amy nodded, no problem with that at all.

"Huh. No, why do I get slapped?" Rory asked indignantly.

"Because we have to stick to the established chain of events. One mistake and the whole time line could collapse. We could end up with two Amy Ponds forever, and then what would you do?" The Doctor questioned and Rory turned to Amy with a raised finger looking hopeful. Amy's mouth dropped open and she slapped him hard across the face.

"Okay, you. Into the police box now." Stella ran to Amy grabbing her and pulling her to the Tardis.

"And then I become her?" Amy asked.

"Yes. Go, go, go!" The Doctor urged.

"Do I really look like that?" Amy asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, you do." Amy two smirked.

"Ooo. Nice choice for your driving lessons." Amy flirted.

"I bet you would." Amy two flirted back.

"Oh, this is how it all ends. Pond flirting with herself. True love at last." The Doctor rambled then glanced over to Rory. "Oh, sorry, Rory."

"Absolutely no problem at all." Rory drooled as he leered at his wives.

"Now, Amy." Stella snapped. "Before your husband drowns in his own drool."

"What's the first line?" Amy asked.

"Okay, kids, this is where it gets complicated." Amy two answered.

"Gotcha." Amy went into the Tardis.

"So, is that it? Are we okay now?" Amy two asked them.

"No, we're still trapped." The Doctor said right before Amy three and Rory two entered the Tardis.

"What are you doing?" Stella asked them.

"You told us to get into the police box. Well, from your point of view you're about to tell us to get into the police box. From our point of view you just told us to get into the police box, which is why we got into the police box, which is why we're here." Rory rambled nervously.

"Do I have to remember all of that?" Rory asked worriedly.

"It just sort of happens." Rory two replied as the two Amys waved at each other happily.

"Hi." Amy two smirked.

"Hi." Amy three replied saucily.

"Stop that." The Doctor ordered.

"You two, in the police box now. Run." Stella pushed Rory one and Amy two into the Tardis.

"So, what now?" Amy three asked as Stella went up to the console.

"You two, stay where you are." The Doctor replied.

"What are you doing?" Rory two asked.

"We're setting up a controlled temporal implosion. It's the only way to rest the Tardis." Stella told them with a bright smile as she and the Doctor worked the controls.

"But unless we find exactly the right lever to control the implosion, we're all going to die." The Doctor added.

"Wasn't going to tell them that bit." Stella shot the Doctor a look.

"You don't know which lever?" Amy three yelped.

"No. But I'm about to find out." The Doctor smirked winking at Stella just before Stella two entered the Tardis through the Tardis.

"The wibbly lever love!" Stella two called out.

"The wibbly lever. Thank you beautiful." The Doctor threw the lever and ran into the Tardis along with the others, which then dematerialized.

"Okay, we're back in normal flight." Stella sighed out.

"The Tardis is no longer inside itself, the localized time field is no longer about to implode and rip a hole in all causality." The Doctor listed off brightly wrapping his arms around Amy and Rory while Stella leaned her back again his chest. "But just in case, Pond, put some trousers on."

The Doctor and Rory headed back up to the console, Stella and Amy lingering behind.

"I have this cute little flowy skirt I've been wanting to wear lately…" Stella commented with a smirk and Amy started to grin. It was so much fun to mess with their boys.


	4. Chapter 4

~*~*~0~*~*~

Because you have shared in our lives

and supported our love, we

The Doctor

and

Stella Quinn

request the pleasure of your company

at our marriage!

~*~*~0~*~*~


	5. Chapter 5

Stella clapped her hands together causing the chalk on them to cloud around her hands before she turned to the large gymnastics mat in front of her. She took a couple of steps back before rushing forward and flipping onto the mat. The moment her feet touched down Magic by Pilot started to play.

She grinned as she flipped onto her hands holding her legs straight then moving into a split as she turned on her hands. Then she flipped back onto feet bringing up a streamer with her that she had laid out on the ground for her routine. It was all going quite well and Stella thought she was going to get the whole of the routine until her ribbon wrapped around her legs sending her to the ground, the music stopping like the sound of a record needle skimming across the record when she fell.

"Very funny." Stella grumbled in reference to the needle scratch joke from the Tardis. She lay there on her back with a soft groan, the wind knocked from her lungs. She heard a chuckle coming from the door followed by hurried footsteps, the Doctor coming into her line of vision above her.

"Are you ok love?" The Doctor asked as he offered his hand to her, but she waved it off patting the place next to her.

"I'm fine, can't be perfect all the time." Stella replied as the Doctor laid down beside her and taking her hand in his.

"You were doing well up until the…you know…fall." The Doctor assured her with another chuckle, Stella rolling her eyes as she lightly kicked his leg.

"That's usually what messes up a routine." Stella commented dryly as the Tardis changed the ceiling and walls to look like a star filled night, dimming the lights as she did. The music started to play again and the song was called Venus, Bringer of Peace from The Planets by Holst. "So have Amy and Rory decided where we're going next?"

"I believe she was looking into Volentia home of the endless gardens, the Jexellian Affiliation where they have the best carnivals, or Ancient Egypt to meet King Tut." The Doctor replied as he looked to Stella.

"I'll need to go change then, I don't think that this outfit is suitable for any of those places." Stella said glancing down at her practice outfit, the Doctor following her gaze to her light pink lace crop spaghetti stringed halter top and layered white lace shorts.

"Pity." The Doctor commented as he took in her toned legs.

Stella smirked playfully at him as she slowly bent her leg allowing her foots to skim against her opposite leg. The Doctor watched, his almost non-existent brows shooting up and his face flushing a brilliant red. Stella turned over so her body was facing him her hand running up his chest as she propped herself up so she was hovering over him.

"Is that so?" Stella leaned down so her lips were centimeters from his, the Doctor leaning up in anticipation of her kiss, his eyes slipping closed, but it never came. He peeked an eye open, his eyeball darting around until he spotted Stella giggling as she made for the door.

"Oi! Stella!" The Doctor scrambled to his feet as fast as he could chase after her.

"Come and get me!" Stella called out as she ran down the corridor. "Come along Doctor, I thought you loved to run!"

"You tease, that's not fair." The Doctor raced after her, following her laughter, his own laughter joining hers as he caught up to her wrapping his arms around her waist. He spun her around trapping her against the wall leaving her no escape. "Now, I believe you owe me a kiss Starlight."

"Do I?" Stella grinned playfully.

"Mmm-hmm." The Doctor hummed.

"Well then what are you waiting for Theta?" Stella grinned cheekily before he leaned down capturing her lips in a powerful kiss.

Her hands once again ran up along his chest until her arms circled around his neck pulling herself closer to him. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist until they were pressed against one another as their lips moved softly, the kiss deepening as one of the Doctor's hands slipped up her back burying in her hair pulling it loose from the messy bun it had been in.

"When?" The Doctor mumbled against her lips before moving down her neck.

"When what?" Stella gasped out, exposing her neck more to give him better access. Her hands gripping his shoulders as his held her waist pulling her hips to meet his.

"When can we be married?" The Doctor asked kissing a path up to her ear, nuzzling against it causing her to shudder. Stella's eyes widened slightly as she looked into the Doctor's, she could see the love in them, so much it was almost overwhelming. "I want you to be my wife."

"And I want you to be my husband." Stella said with a smile that lit up her whole being, the Doctor mirroring her smile right away as he rested his forehead against hers. "So how about right now?"

"There's no time like the present." The Doctor said.

"Really?" Stella said in excitement.

"Really." The Doctor nodded, happy to see her excitement. "We'll get Amy and Rory to help, it will be great."

"Can Jack come?" Stella asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not." The Doctor said cheerfully. "Now, where would you like to get married?"

"Where else, but here, in our home." Stella said looking down the hall where they could see the control room at the end of it. "I can think of nowhere better than in the most amazing beautiful ship in the universe. What do you think?"

"I think that that sounds perfect." The Doctor replied pecking her on the lips once more before taking her hand in his as they raced down the corridor to the control room where Amy and Rory had been playing darts to pass the time.

"There you two are!" Amy exclaimed upon seeing them. "So where are we off to?"

"Stella and I are getting married!" The Doctor burst out in excitement. Rory and Amy stared at him, blinking owlishly at him.

"We…know." Rory said uncertainly, glancing over to Amy. "Kind of the purpose of engagement rings."

"Right now!" Stella blurted out.

"Like right now, right now?" Amy asked as she rushed over followed by Rory, bouncing on her feet in excitement.

"Yes." Stella squealed, bouncing along with Amy who hugged her.

"Congratulations." Rory smiled also hugging Stella and clapping the Doctor on the back. "Where are you going to have it?"

"Here on the Tardis and we'll need both of you to help us set it up." The Doctor said as he ran around the console setting it into motion. "We need to pick up someone and in the meantime, Stella go call said someone and…" There was a knock on the Tardis door causing everyone to go silent. The Doctor moved over to the door cautiously opening it a crack only for it to get pushed in allowing River Song to strut in with a bright smile. "River?!"

"Hello sweeties, am I on time?" River grinned.

"River!" Stella cheered as she ran up to the blonde woman hugging her tight. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Wouldn't miss it for the universe." River said as the pulled back.

"But how did you know?" Rory asked.

"Spoilers." River smirked. "Now then, I believe we should be off to the wardrobe to pick out Stella's fabulous dress. Rory love, see if you can't do something with the Doctor, there's a good boy."

The Doctor grumbled under his breath as River led a giggling Amy and Stella down the Tardis corridors. The Doctor set the Tardis into motion as Rory watched him.

"So who's this friend of yours and Stella's that we're picking up? Does River know him?" Rory asked and in that moment the Doctor realized that the Captain was about to meet the Professor, his face a mask of horror.

-0-

While they were going through dresses Stella had her cell cradled between her shoulder and ear waiting for the other end to answer.

"Hello little star, what's up?" Jack answered.

"The Doctor and I are going to have our wedding right now." Stella cheered into the phone.

"Really?! That's great, am I invited?" Jack joked, knowing that he was.

"Not just that, you're going to give me away as well as officiate the wedding." Stella said with a soft smile and the other end was silent for a moment.

"I…I don't know what to say." Jack said with a happy laugh. "I'd be honored."

"To right you would, the Doctor should be picking you up soon…more or less." Stella said smiled.

"Well from what you told me I should have time to get you two a present." Jack said and Stella could hear the mischievous undertone.

"Oh…I don't want to even imagine." Stella shook her head.

"Yep, it's going to be that good." Jack grinned. "Who's helping you pick out your dress?"

"My two maids of honor, the amazing Amy." Stella replied smiling to Amy who beamed back.

"Oh yeah, the cute Scottish girl." Jack commented remembering Stella talking about her and the pictures Stella had sent of herself with Amy and the others.

"Yes, the married cute Scottish girl." Stella said sternly.

"I wasn't going to do anything." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Still going to watch you." Stella replied.

"No trust, after all these years." Jack scoffed.

"Absolutely none." Stella agreed and Jack laughed.

"And the other brides maid?" Jack asked.

"The illustrious River Song." Stella said.

"Thank you my dear." River curtsied.

"Can't wait for that." Jack said with a low whistle.

"Me either Captain." River said as she passed Stella, loud enough for Jack to hear.

"Not even going to get in the middle of that one." Stella rolled her eyes.

"But really little star, I am happy for you and the Doctor, you two are great for each other." Jack said seriously.

"Thank you Jack." Stella said.

"See you in a bit." Jack said.

"See you in a bit." Stella replied before they hung up then let out a frustrated sigh.

"Stella, come here, now!" Amy called out and Stella ran over to her.

"What's wrong?" Stella asked.

"I saw this light behind some clothes and came over to find this spotlighted, I think the Tardis is making a suggestion." Amy responded, reaching up and taking Stella by the chin turning her head to where the Tardis was shining a soft pink light.

"Oh my…this is amazing, thank you Tarids." Stella looked at the wedding dress, her eyes widening as they filled with happy tears. "It's just like the one…when I was little you know how you dream, my mother and I, we both picked out the same dress and this was it. I always dreamed of getting married in it…"

"But I thought you had been married before?" Amy commented.

"Oh…that, well it had to be traditional to his planet and they get married in an assortment of silks, beads, and feathers, very tribal." Stella said off handedly, not really wanting to think about her previous marriage.

"Sorry." Amy picked up on her reluctance to talk about her last marriage.

600 years later and she was still sore about it. She had loved him so much and he had shattered her heart. After that she had never been able to make a relationship last, always afraid, always holding back until the relationship crumbled, but that was the past and she had a love that repaired her heart as well as giving her a new one.

"It's fine." Stella said as she walked up to the dress gently running her fingertips over the skirt, a small frown on her face.

"It won't be the same you know, with the Doctor." River said gently.

"Spoilers?" Stella looked to her with a small smile, but her eyes looking so hopeful.

"Call it a sneak peek." River winked before wrapping her arm around Stella, Stella returning the hug tightly. "He really loves you and he always will."

"And I'll love him just as long." Stella said with a bright smile, as they turned back to the lovely dress. "And this is the dress that I will wear when I show him just how much."

-0-

The Tardis control room had been decorated with bouquets of exotic white flowers and vanilla scented candles. Petals littered the floor of the corridor all the way the stairs to the console where the Doctor nervously kept adjusting his bow tie of his black tuxedo with tails, top hat, and white scarf. Next to him was Rory who was also in a tux watching the Doctor in amusement recalling how own wedding nerves.

They both looked to the corridor when 'Amarantine' by Enya and Amy walked down in a beautiful royal blue sweetheart top cocktail dress that was loosely fitted to her figure ending just above her knees with a silver crystal belt, a cluster of blue roses on the right side of her hair allowing the rest to hang down in loose curls, and a pair of silver heels finished it off.

River was next wearing an off the shoulder shallow v neck royal blue gown that was fitted down to her waist they flared out with a small train. A crystal broach was pinned in the center of the neckline of her dress and her hair was pinned up with a crystal clip allowing some of her curls to hang down loose framing her face. They both took their places opposite the Doctor and Rory smiling brightly in anticipation.

Then Stella appeared, her arm looped through Jack's who was grinning proudly in his best tux as he led her down the corridor toward the Doctor whose grin grew with every step she took closer to him. She was truly the most amazing woman he had ever known and to think in a matter of moments she would be his, it was astounding.

The Doctor took in Stella's soft white dress with its sweet heart top and modified a line skirt made up of floral lace with a small train. Over the whole of the dress was white soft tulle that gathered in the middle of her chest as well as the middle of her back also wrapping around her arms in off the shoulder cap sleeves, it flowed down to the ground forming a longer train that flowed behind her. She also had on a pair of royal blue heels that were opened toed and accented in crystals.

Her hair was left down in flowing loose curls, a thin floral crystal band accented with her veil hanging down to her elbows from it edged in a floral crystal design and attached to the band behind her ears leaving the top of her head and the back of it uncovered. Her jewelry consisted of crystal studs and a simple crystal hanging from a thin silver chain.

Her lips were a pearl pink and her eye shadow was natural with a touch of pink really making her blue eyes pop along with the eyeliner and mascara. In her hands was a bouquet of white daisies and blue roses tied together with blue and silver ribbons as well as sprinkled with small crystals all over the petals making them sparkle.

"Doctor I give to you Stella in the understanding that you will always be there for her, always love her, and you will always protect her just as much as she will no doubt do for you, do you accept this?" Jack asked seriously though there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

"I accept." The Doctor said starring into Stella's eyes.

"Then come get her." Jack grinned and the Doctor walked down the steps as Stella kissed Jack's cheek before taking the Doctor's hand.

The Doctor shook Jack's hand and with Stella's tucked into the crook of his arm went back up the stairs with Jack following. They stood facing each other, holding each other's hands together as one while Jack took a length of blue ribbon from his pocket and tied it around their hands joining them together before he started to speak while 'You Belong to Me' started to play.

"We gather here to unite these two people in marriage. Their decision to marry has not been entered into lightly and today they publicly declare their private devotion to each other. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is possessive of the other, one in which both give their love freely and without jealousy. Marriage, ideally, is a sharing of responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving and unselfish." Jack began the ceremony, his words causing the couple to smile. "Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?"

"We do." The Doctor and Stella said together.

"Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?" Jack questioned.

"We do." They said as one.

"May these rings be blessed as a symbol of your union. As often as either of you look upon these rings, may you not only be reminded of this moment, but also of the vows you have made and the strength of your commitment to each other." Jack said as Amy and Rory held out the rings. "Speak now your vows and bind yourselves to one another."

"I take you, Stella my Starlight, to be my wedded wife. With deepest joy I receive you into my life that together we may be one. I will be to you a loving and faithful husband. I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, my tender care. Throughout life, no matter what may lie ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful husband." He paused for a moment smiling brightly as Stella smiled as well while Rory handed the Doctor a thin band that matched her engagement ring band. The Doctor kissed her ring finger before sliding the ring on. "Stella I consent and gladly give myself to you."

"I take you, Doctor, my Theta Sigma, to be my wedded husband. With deepest joy I receive you into my life that together we may be one. I will be to you a loving and faithful wife. I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, my tender care. Throughout life, no matter what may lie ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful wife." Stella took the band she had for the Doctor from Amy and gently slid his ring onto his finger beaming up at him. "Doctor I consent and gladly give myself to you."

"Go now in peace and live in love, sharing the most precious gifts you have- the gifts of your lives united. And may your days be long in this universe and across all time." Jack smiled brightly at them. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The Doctor smiled lifting his hand till it rest gently on her cheek then leaned down catching her lips in a soft kiss. It was warm and gentle making Stella's heart flutter. His arm that was still wrapped around her waist pulled her as close to him as possible while her arms went around his neck pulling him in for a closer kiss. Slowly they pulled apart starring lovingly into each other's eyes while Amy, Rory, and Jack cheered while throwing flower petals up into the air.

After a small intimate party with just the Pond's, River, and Jack the Tardis had set itself in motion taking them to a planet of perpetual celebrations. It was amazing with every form of party from all over the universe and time leaving them with plenty to do before they got tired and decided to call it a day.

Amy and Rory had been returned home while Jack had wondered off with River, both all smiles and flirty one liners. Stella and the Doctor had returned to the console room of the Tardis with their arms wrapped around each other, Stella carrying her shoes in one and the Doctor with his bow tie undone.

"That was some reception." Stella smiled happily.

"You really liked it?" The Doctor looked to her as she laid her head against his chest.

"This was perfect, everything I ever wanted." Stella hummed.

"I'm glad." The Doctor smiled softly down at her as he tucked a stray stand of hair behind her ear. "Now my dear wife, may I have this dance?"

The Doctor reached over and pressed a button causing 'I Can't Help Falling in Love with You' by Elvis to play. The Doctor grinned as he held out his hand to her and Stella smiled brightly back placing her hand in his.

"Of course my darling husband." Stella replied as they slipped into each other's arms and started to sway to the music.

They exchanged loving smiles and sweet words as they danced around the console twirling smoothly. The Doctor spun Stella from him then pulled him back to himself and into a deep dip at the end of the song. He brought her back up and gazed softly down at her for a time as she gazed up at him.

"Stella for us to truly be wed there is something that we must share, something very precious to us both." The Doctor asked seriously, breaking the silence they had found themselves in. "Do you remember what I told you about a Time Lords name?"

"I do." Stella nodded.

"What I'm about to tell you is my name, my real name." The Doctor said as Stella looked up at him, her eyes wide knowing the gravity of what he was about to tell her and what she would without doubt share with him.

The Doctor leaned forward gently nuzzling her hair from her ear and whispered his name in her ear. Stella felt warmth spread through her at the sound of his name as it flowed over her, her eyes closed as she savored it.

"The name that was given to me, the one I was to keep secret…" Stella trailed off before standing on her tip toes as the Doctor leaned down reveling in the feel of her lips brushing against his ear when she spoke her name.

"Stella." The Doctor breathed out as he felt the name resound in his hearts. "I'll keep it safe."

"I know you will just like I'll keep yours safe." Stella smiled as she looked up at him his arms winding around her waist as hers laid on his chest. The Doctor smiled lifting his hand till it rest gently on her cheek then leaned down catching her lips in a soft kiss.

The Doctor deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding along the crease of her lips before she opened them allowing for a kiss of true embrace, their feelings building with the kiss. His arm that was still wrapped around her waist pulled her as close to him as possible while her arms went around his neck pulling him in for an even closer kiss.

Slowly they pulled apart starring lovingly into each other's eyes before they slipped into a simple dance to 'I Found Love' by Owl City which the Tardis had started to play for them. The Doctor spun Stella from him then pulled him back to himself and into a deep dip at the end of the song. He brought her back up into another loving kiss before gently lifting her up into his arms and taking her to what was now their room.


End file.
